Loki's Karma
by Quatre Winner
Summary: After falling from Asgard, Loki awakens in a garden with a redhead standing over him. With his memories lost and his future uncertain, Loki has to search for a purpose in his life. If he helps save Auldrant in the process... well. Every stormcloud has its silver lining.
1. Chapter 1

New fic! I watched the Avengers because my job was playing Captain America and it was like "Well, it's not bad, so I'll watch the Avengers!" You'll notice that this fic isn't about the Captain. Loki stole my heart and plotbunnies with his prettyness and woobieness. After watching the Avengers, I loaded up Thor and ogled a lot. Then I plotted. Then I wrote! And here this is.

Eloquent, I know. I loved being in Loki's head. I hope to finish this soon. Loki's head is so awesome. The snark! The wit!

So, warnings. For Thor, this takes place directly after the ending of the movie. I don't think the Avengers is going to happen because of it. For Tales of the Abyss, I think this shall be a rewrite with Loki in the party being his awesome self. Not many events should change, though - Loki's just... there. I don't plan on doing a play-by-play rewrite because of this. Probably just key scenes? Who knows.

The usual goes on: I don't own Thor, or Loki, or Tales of the Abyss. The former belong to Marvel and Disney, and the latter belongs to Namco Bandai. I don't want any money for this. Just reviews. Please review!

* * *

"Hey," a loud voice demanded. Something prodded Loki's shoulder with impatient force. "You there. You a new servant or something? You're not supposed to be sleeping in the garden. My father's going to punish you."

The words took forever to make any sense in Loki's head. They dragged through the muck that his thoughts had become. "And where is this garden?" he found himself asking. He didn't even open his eyes to do so. Even the bright red that was all he saw was hurting his head. His heartbeat was a thumping counterpoint to the stabbing pain that lanced between his ears.

"Come on, you can't expect me to believe that you climbed a wall that I've never even been over, then fell asleep in a garden, without knowing where it was." His shoulder was poked again. "Now get up, or I'm going to tell my father on you."

How had he gotten here? Loki tried to think back, but all he got was throbbing pain and darkness. Before that voice, whose owner he still didn't know, there was nothing. He didn't even know how he knew his name.

He was Loki, and his memories went back for only two minutes. It was as good a place to start as any.

"Your father might not approve of you talking to strangers," Loki pointed out. He finally dared to open his eyes, but as he expected the light only intensified the pain in his head. All he saw was blinding white until his conversational partner leaned over to block it. It was a relief.

"If you're a servant here then you're not a stranger," the boy said cheerfully. "I've never seen you before but we have people coming and going all the time." His shoulders slumped. "Except me. I'm never allowed to leave."

Information. It helped Loki paint a picture – as pitiful as it was. This boy, with his red hair hanging into Loki's eyes and his white jacket that really wasn't doing his headache any favors, was the son of someone with money or power. It didn't answer the important questions, like where he was or how he had arrived, but any information was something.

"I don't know what I am," Loki answered honestly. The boy leaned out of his line of sight with a huff.

"Well, if you're not a servant, I guess I need to call the guards. You'll be thrown in prison for breaking into Duke Fabre's manor, interrogated, and probably killed," the boy said cheerfully. "We don't really like intruders here. Especially if you're from Malkuth." The boy put his hands behind his head and looked down at Loki. "You're not from Malkuth, are you?"

A place name. That was good. Loki added that to the growing pile of knowledge. An enemy, if the boy's tone was any indication. Even implying that he was from Malkuth was not conducive towards his continued existence.

Yet without any other knowledge, Loki didn't think he could come up with a plausible excuse as to why he was in this boy's garden. Perhaps he should claim to be a servant? It would allow him some measure of cover until he could get out and figure out where he was. Maybe outside this garden was the clue he needed to trigger his memories.

He pushed his torso upright and couldn't contain his groan of pain. His chest felt like something had pounded on it with a hammer. He fought to keep his breathing even lest the boy ask more questions. Loki had enough questions of his own.

"That didn't sound good," the boy noted. "You sick or something?"

Sick in the head, Loki thought wryly. "I was lying down too long," he lied. "My muscles are stiff." His whole chest was stiff, every breath wanting to tear a whimper from his throat.

The boy obviously didn't believe it but he waved his hand away. Uncaring, perhaps, or not wanting to comment – Loki didn't care either way. Now he could look around and see where it was that he had awakened.

Green met his eyes. Healthy plants invaded his view. Trees arced above him, not enough cover from the sun that kept sending pain lancing up and down his skull. The grass under him was soft, dotted here and there with the occasional dandelion. Somehow Loki knew they were supposed to be weeds, but the yellow petals enticed him.

Loki blinked. He knew the yellow flowers were weeds. Aside from his name and how to speak, it was the only bit of knowledge he had that the strange redheaded boy hadn't told him. He held that close to his heart – if he knew one thing, maybe there was more locked in his head. It was a hope.

"So, really," the boy asked, and Loki turned his attention to him. The boy was a teenager, somewhere between fifteen and eighteen years old, with red hair that teased his waist. His green eyes were clear and pure as they studied Loki intently. His outfit was simple – a white knee-length jacket, tan pants that were loose around his knees and tight to his ankles, and gloves that covered his wrists and palms but left his fingers free.

"Really what?" Loki returned. He looked down at his own outfit – black leather edged in green, bronze bracers on his arm with intricately detailed engravings. His boots were the same, though they came almost to his knees. It surprised him that he hadn't known what he was wearing. Then again, when he thought about it, he didn't even know what he looked like.

What sort of person didn't know that?

A person who woke up in the middle of a garden with no memory, Loki supposed. He couldn't ask without making his lack of knowledge obvious. So, a mirror later, then. Hopefully with no one to see him.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

A question Loki didn't know the answer to. Of course. At least he could somewhat appease the boy's curiosity. "Isn't it rude to demand someone's name without giving your own?" Loki pointed out.

"Isn't it rude to sleep in someone else's garden and then talk back?" the boy asked. "I could call the guards any minute, you know. They're definitely going to lock you up. You could be trying to kidnap me again."

Then Loki wasn't the first intruder in the garden. Despite that, the boy made no move to act on his threat. His face showed only curiosity.

"I'm Loki," the one named finally said. He was reluctant to give that little bit of information out – now the boy knew as much about him as he did. Now that he'd given it there was nothing he could do and he pushed the discomfort aside. "I do not know how I arrived in your garden. All I know is that I awoke when you poked me in the shoulder."

"Where were you before?" the boy asked.

Loki frowned at him. "I gave you my name. It is only courteous to reply in kind."

The boy scowled. "Geez, you're as annoying as Guy. My name is Luke, all right? Luke fon Fabre."

Luke. The name didn't ring any bells, but Loki nodded anyway. "Well then, my dear Master Luke, I don't know where I was before."

"Don't say my name like that," Luke grumbled. "It sounds like you're mocking me."

Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Perhaps his tone had been mocking. "My apologies, Master Luke. That was not my intent."

"Good," Luke huffed. "Now what did you say? You don't know where you were before?"

Loki shook his head. His instincts were yelling at him to lie, though he didn't know why. He ignored them – without offering a little truth he would never get any information. He needed as much as possible to try and piece things together. "No, I don't. My first memory is of you and this garden. Where I was before is as hidden from me as my own identity. When I told you my name, I imparted to you all the knowledge I currently have."

He expected Luke to scoff at him, or call him a liar and then summon the guards. He didn't expect Luke's scowl to soften in understanding. "I see," the boy said softly. He crouched on the grass next to Loki and studied his face intently. "You can still talk, so at least you're better off than I was."

Those words told Loki so much. "You lost your memory before," he stated. "Did you ever get it back?"

Luke shook his head. "Nah, I had to relearn everything. Natalia keeps pestering me about some promise I made before I lost my memory and it's so annoying. I wouldn't mind having my memories back, but it's been seven years." He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I don't think they'll ever come back."

"My memories are lost forever?" Loki asked. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. His tone of voice made him cringe – it was quiet, meek, lost. Luke patted him on the back in a gesture that was evidently meant to be comforting.

"Eh, if you lost them then they weren't that important. You'll make new memories." Luke straightened and brushed grass from his pants. "Now come on. You can't sit there all day. Even if you were an intruder, it's not like you can do what you came to without knowing what it was. I'll take you to my father and we'll see what happens."

Loki climbed to his feet – his chest was not happy with it and his legs felt like jelly. After one wobble he forced his legs to lock and his chest to operate normally. He had no memory and was at the mercy of a stranger. He would be damned if he'd show any other weakness.

"You look like you're about to fall over just from breathing," Luke muttered. "Just don't fall on me. Now come on. As long as you're with me you shouldn't be bothered by the guards."

The walk through the manor was long enough for Loki to look around and get an impression of the place he'd ended up. It was modest, no gold or silver adorning the doors or walls. It was large enough that it housed a small army of servants and maids, all of whom shot him odd glances as he passed. Most of the maids and a few of the servants took one look at him and then blushed and hid their faces from view.

After a few minutes of this Loki scowled. It didn't look as if they were cowering in fear. "Why do they keep doing that?" he demanded of Luke.

The boy shrugged. "Hell if I know. Girls are weird."

No obvious wealth, but the way Luke carried himself and the amount of people working for his father spoke of power. Loki ignored the swooning women and men as he went through what he knew so far. He had no memory, he was in the garden of a powerful man, and the son of that man didn't seem to think him a threat. Rather, once Luke had learned of his amnesia it seemed the red-haired boy felt like he needed to help.

It annoyed Loki, for some reason he didn't quite understand. He wanted to figure this out on his own. It was his mind, his memories, that were gone. Why did Luke think he could help?

Yet if Loki tried to turn Luke down, there was every possibility that Luke would summon the guards he could see dotted in corners and along hallways. There was no way Loki could begin to unravel the mystery of his identity from the inside of a jail cell.

It was that thought that kept Loki silent as they rounded a corner. The guards stood at attention while Luke pushed through the set of double doors at the end of the corridor and gestured for Loki to follow him.

"Father," Luke said before Loki was through the door, "I found this man in the garden."

Loki sighed and shook his head. There were better ways to start an explanation. "Master Luke, if I might explain?" he suggested.

"Explain what?" Luke shot back. "You don't even know how you got there."

"That is precisely it," Loki agreed. "I don't wish to end up in your father's dungeon. Allow me to explain what I can."

He turned his attention to the senior Fabre. He was older, as was expected with a son Luke's age, with brown hair flattened around his head by the hat he wore. He eyes were hidden by the long strands. His clothes were strangely formal, gold and brown robes over a pair of brown pants.

"Explain quickly, intruder," Fabre ordered. His voice was deep and brooked no nonsense.

Loki sorted his thoughts. "It is as your son says, Duke Fabre." Luke had mentioned his father's name in the garden, now that he thought of it. Nobility, then. "I found myself in your garden with no memory of my arrival. I have no memory of anything save for my name. I am Loki. Beyond that, my identity is as much of a mystery to myself as it is to you." He bowed. "Please excuse my intrusion. Not having any memory of trespassing still does not forgive it."

Fabre humphed. "You're the most polite intruder I've ever met," he said wryly. "So you have no memory? You can still talk and understand us. When my son lost his memory we had to teach him everything from scratch. How to walk, talk, everything."

"Father!" Luke burst out. "Don't talk about it like that. It's embarrassing!"

"It is what happened, Luke. I'm just puzzled at the differences in your amnesia and his." Fabre frowned. "So what is it you intend to do, Loki? Without your memory you can't hope to survive in the outside world. Do you even have any gald on you?"

"Gald?" Loki asked blankly. He searched his pockets, ignoring the way both Luke and the elder Fabre tensed up, and found nothing.

"It appears not." Fabre rubbed his forehead.

"Can't he stay here?" Luke asked. "Just for a few days? Maybe his memory will come back by then." He glanced at Loki hopefully. "I mean, I thought he was a servant. Can't I use him? You sent Guy off to Malkuth for an errand and I'm bored."

To become the plaything of an idle child was not what Loki had in mind. There was nothing else he could think of to be doing – the elder Fabre was right. He had no way to survive in the world he didn't remember.

Fabre scowled. "Luke, you already have Guy. There are plenty of maids to satisfy your whims until he returns."

"Yeah, but you're going to have him doing stuff anyway." Luke waved his hand. "He's not exactly a guest. You're going to have him working to pay his board, and to keep an eye on him. Why not let him keep me company?"

"Son, keeping you company is a full-time job in and of itself," Fabre noted.

Working. Loki rolled the word around in his head, let it call forth images. He didn't know what he looked like so in his mind's eye he substituted Luke. He imagined Luke bending over and scrubbing floors. Luke on chairs dusting the many pictures that dotted the manor.

It didn't sound like an appealing action at all.

Yet, unless Loki… worked, he would be put out. He wanted to see the rest of the world, find his memories, but without money he had a feeling that things wouldn't go well.

He didn't fancy starving to death in the streets.

So, work.

"I will do whatever it is you ask," Loki said humbly. "It is the least I can do to offer you recompense for my trespass."

"He's a lot more polite than Guy too," Luke said cheerfully. "So what do you say, Father? Can I use him until Guy gets back?"

Fabre sighed. "Very well. Leave us for now, Luke. I need to brief Loki on his duties."

Luke left without another word. Loki watched him go, then raised an eyebrow at the elder Fabre. "He seems to be a handful," he noted.

"Yes. He is not permitted to leave the manor and it wears on all of us." Fabre shook his head. "However, he is now your handful. He found you, so I do believe you owe him a debt."

Loki bowed his head. "Of course, Duke Fabre."

"Your duties are simple: Keep Luke entertained. If he wishes to read a book you will fetch it for him. If he wishes to spar, you will don protective gear and let him beat you up. I have a seventh fonist who can patch you up afterwards, do not worry. Your most important duty, however, is to keep Luke in the manor."

It was simple enough. "If I might ask, Duke Fabre, why is Luke not permitted to leave?" Loki asked innocently. Information was key. The more he had, the more he could work with. Maybe, if he had enough information, then he wouldn't need his memories.

Fabre waved his hand. "We don't allow Luke to leave because, seven years ago, he was kidnapped by Malkuth. When we found him had had lost all of his memories due to the trauma. If he left, he could be kidnapped again and this time he might be killed."

"So you imprison him here for his own protection," Loki mused. When Fabre opened his mouth to protest, Loki quickly bowed. "My apologies, Duke Fabre, I spoke out of turn. Thank you for the information. Now, should the young Master attempt to coerce me into allowing him to leave, I am thusly warned."

Fabre grunted. "Your duties will start immediately. Go find a servant's uniform and then go find Luke. A maid will take your clothes to your room. When Luke falls asleep later, I will have you escorted there."

"Thank you, Duke Fabre, for your hospitality." Loki bowed again and left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two is here! I broke my rules about finishing a fic before posting it. Loki is worth breaking the rules for, though.

I forgot to thank my beta from the last chapter! Yumetoyuki was awesome enough to read over fic to see how well I got into his head. The few who read it were overwhelming in their positive reactions. This chapter was written just as I was getting started on my new work shift (overnights!) so I'm not as positive about it as the first. Still, it's needed to move the plot along. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Standard warnings still apply. I don't own Thor, or Loki, or Tales of the Abyss. I'm writing it as if no one reading knows what Tales of the Abyss is and as such I'm trying to do some explaining here and there. For Thor? Those explanations will come - not even Loki knows who he is so we're all in the same boat there.

There's a bit more to go before we get into the meat of ToTA's story. When that happens, though... I'll leave that to your collectice imaginations.

(Final note: I think I mixed up King Ingobert and Duke Fabre when I was writing the last chapter. I'll go back and edit it later on. For now, onward!)

* * *

Loki collapsed into the bed he was provided later that night with a groan. Despite his body's protests he had dutifully tagged along with Luke the whole day. The teenager could be quite creative when he wanted to entertain himself.

At least the clothes Loki had been provided were comfortable. His leather getup was stylish but restrictive. If he'd tried to wear it while chasing Luke around, he was certain there wouldn't be much skin left on his thighs. These clothes were the same as the servants scattered around the manor: a dark brown jacket over a white undershirt and matching dark brown slacks.

He rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Despite being classified as a servant he had this room to himself. He was grateful for that. After such a long day he really didn't feel like dealing with the questions that had followed him as whispers throughout the day.

He didn't know who he was. He didn't know why he was here. If others would stop wondering about it, his nerves would be so much better off.

Loki kicked off his shoes and rolled over so he could stare at the ceiling. Attending to Luke's every whim had been demeaning. The teen's boredom had trumped any sympathy he might have felt for his new servant. Loki had been forced to run across the manor for inane things. When Luke had wanted a fruit from the very top of the highest tree, Loki had become a human ladder.

Luke was very creative in his torment, Loki grumbled. At least he had a place to sleep that was comfortable. The meal he was provided wasn't elegant by any means, but it sated the ache in his stomach. Now all he had to do was convince his chest it wasn't going to implode and he would be great.

His gaze wandered around the room. It wasn't as elegantly furnished as Luke's, with bookshelves and swords on the walls. This room had a nightstand with a small pitcher of water and a basin on it, as well as a wardrobe. His eyes landed on the mirror above the nightstand, and he sat up with only a small groan of pain.

Loki didn't know what he expected when he looked into the mirror. All these hours later and this was his first time really looking at his reflection. The high cheekbones, pale skin, and blue eyes that stared back at him didn't seem real at first. It was like someone had cast a spell and was showing him an image that wasn't real. When he raised his hand to his face, the mirror-image did so as well. The skin under his fingertips felt real enough, and he felt the same features as he saw in the mirror.

His hands went to his hair next – shoulder length, straight, and black. The color made the paleness in his cheeks even more prominent. He threaded his fingers through the strands and found that they were soft, despite the tangles that made him wince. Running around all day after a bored noble was not kind to hair.

So. That was one mystery solved, at least. Loki now understood why every maid in the manor gawked at him. It didn't mean that he liked it. Being ogled like some prized turkey was rather low on his list of priorities.

A knock at his door startled him away from the mirror. "Who is it?" he asked. If it was one of those maids, there was no way he was opening his door.

"Master Luke asked me to see you," a male voice replied. That wasn't much of a relief. Plenty of men had the same looks on their faces as the girls. Loki knew he could protect himself, but just having to do so would be a pain.

Well, he rephrased his last thought, he was confident he could protect himself. He didn't know, exactly. There was very little he still knew. He shook his head to clear those thoughts away. "Why did he ask you to do such a thing?"

"The young master noticed that you seemed to be in pain. He asked me to look you over and heal any wounds you had."

Loki's chest throbbed at the mention. He thought back through his day – the only day he had – and asked, "You're that seventh fonist Duke Fabre mentioned?" By the way the Duke had spoken, a seventh fonist was a healer of some sort.

"Yes."

Loki unlocked the door and let the seventh fonist in. He was an older man, gray hair evident at his temples and scattered through his short-cropped brown hair. The clothes he wore weren't those of a servant. They looked finer, closer to the ones that Duke Fabre or Luke wore.

The seventh fonist waved Loki to the bed and made him sit down. "Does it hurt anywhere?" the man asked without preamble.

Loki still didn't like showing weakness, but it was better to admit to his pain than to continue to feel it. "My chest," he said reluctantly. "If I don't breathe carefully I feel a sharp throbbing pain."

The seventh fonist helped Loki out of his shirt. "I don't see any bruises," the man murmured. He ran his hands over Loki's chest, ignoring the way he squirmed in pain. Sadist. "Must be deep in there. It doesn't feel like a broken rib, at least."

"Is it something you can heal?" Loki asked.

"Yes. Just relax and take deep breaths." The man closed his eyes and starting muttering under his breath, his hands still on Loki's chest. When he looked down, Loki saw the seventh fonist's hands glow green. His chest went curiously numb for a moment, and when he could breathe again there was no pain.

Magic. Loki knew there could be no other word for what had just occurred. He took a deep breath and reveled in not feeling pain. "You have my deepest gratitude," he said sincerely. Even as he said it, he was plotting on how he could learn these spells. If he became injured again, healing himself would be an asset.

The man waved his thanks away. "It was a simple healing arte, no big deal. If you have any other issues have Duke Fabre call me."

Loki nodded and the seventh fonist took his leave. Since he was already undressed anyway he stood and made use of the pitcher of water to wash.

His first day was over. No memories, no identity, no life, just this one day. He was a servant, and his pride stung at that. His only purpose here was to ensure that a spoiled brat didn't get bored enough to try to escape imprisonment.

However, what were his options? Loki finished washing up and sat on the bed. He buried his face in his hand and sighed. His options were to be the plaything of an idle child or hungry on the streets. Perhaps he could win pity from someone and get shelter. If he thought things through (and what things? He just had this one day), no one would take in a boarder without asking for anything in return.

At least with Duke Fabre he had a sympathetic ear. He didn't know if many people turned up not knowing who they were, but at least in this household he wasn't alone in that. Luke acted spoiled rotten and petulant but it seemed that he had a soft spot for Loki. Why else would the child send a healer to him? Despite his attempts to hide his pain, Luke had seen right through him.

Loki flopped backwards and sighed. "What a first day."

After the manor silenced for the night, he found that his first day was long indeed. He reclined on the bed, even closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him. He felt no ill effects from missing it, but going by how the rest of the manor was not up and about, sleeping was normal.

If he was normal, shouldn't he be sleeping?

Loki stalked around his room. He wasn't normal, of course not. Normal people didn't wake up in gardens with no memory of arriving there. Normal people remembered their pasts. Normal people could sleep.

Then again, how was he to know what was normal? Loki restrained a frustrated growl and did another circuit of the confined quarters. The walls were starting to feel oppressive. After spending the day in relatively open areas, this limited space was grating on his nerves.

After a moment he stopped. Duke Fabre had given him every freedom his servants had. Perhaps if he stepped out for a walk there would be no issues. If he did so, maybe he might get tired enough to try out sleeping.

He dressed in the outfit he'd first awoken in, though he left off the unneeded accessories. No bronze bracers, no cape, and instead of the knee-length boots he kept the shoes he wore with the servant uniform. Without those, this outfit didn't stand out nearly so much.

Loki's walk was uninterrupted. He wandered through the halls of the manor, past the silent watchers in armor. Nothing caught his eyes as he walked. There was no miraculous trigger for his memories. There was only darkness, shadows broken only by the occasional torch on the walls. It only reminded him of the blackness in his head.

After his second circuit through the manor, one of the guards stepped forward. "If I might ask," the armored man began, "what are you looking for?"

Loki ruminated on how best to reply. After a moment, he settled for the honest answer. "I couldn't sleep. I thought a walk would be helpful."

The guard nodded. "If I might make a suggestion?"

Loki's interest piqued. "Of course."

The guard waved his spear down the corridor. "The third door from here on the left is the manor's library. If you can't sleep, maybe you should try to stir up something in that head of yours." He shrugged and returned to his post. "Reading might put you to sleep, too."

It was the best idea Loki had heard all night. It was annoying that he hadn't thought of it. "I thank you for the idea," he said. Then he asked, "Just how many are aware of my memory loss?"

Others knowing of his loss of memory didn't sit well with him. Duke Fabre and Luke were one thing – it was only because of that knowledge that he was being taken care of. Those with no cause to know, on the other hand, he wanted to keep that knowledge from. Having amnesia was bad enough without others viewing him as weak.

The guard shrugged again. "Word travels fast in the manor. I would expect everyone to know by now."

How fun, Loki thought dryly. "Thank you," he repeated before setting off.

In the library, he stared at shelves of books and wondered where to start. There was so much he didn't know. He doubted there was anything about him in the dusty tomes that awaited him, such a shame.

He started walking the shelves, fingers trailing along the spines, and studied the titles. Something would jump out at him, he decided. If he couldn't decide where to start, he would let these books tell him.

He sat down at the table in the library with a handful of books. By the time the sun rose, two things happened. The first was that he never got tired. Scanning small print by the light of a flame torch gave him a bit of a headache, yes, but he didn't feel the need to sleep.

The second thing that happened was that he read all about the history of the world. He learned that this world was called Auldrant, and that there were three main political forces governing it. He was in the kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, ruled by a hereditary king or queen. The opposing kingdom, Malkuth, had an emperor that also gained his throne through blood succession.

The third interested Loki the most. It was a theocratic city called Daath. Daath held all of the real power in the world thanks to its iron control of the religious artifacts that held what was called the "Score." This Score was said to be an accurate history of the world from ancient times to the present, as well as a reliable predictor of the future. Both Kimlasca and Malkuth relied on the Score, and by controlling it, Daath could influence both countries.

Loki shelved all of the books when he heard the manor stirring to life around him. Now, he had knowledge. It wasn't memories, not by a long shot, but at least now his world didn't consist of just this manor. Now he knew that this manor was inside a larger city called Baticul, and that Baticul was on a continent in the southern hemisphere of this world.

Despite getting exactly zero hours of sleep, Loki felt fine. He returned to his room to change back into his servant uniform. Luke would be calling on him soon. Even if being a servant felt demeaning, it would hurt his pride far more to give his duties anything less than his best effort.

When Loki went to Luke's bedroom to present himself, the young noble was already dressed. "Took you long enough," he grumbled. "Master Van should be coming later today and I need to practice my sword skills."

Loki eyed the sword Luke carried on his back, the handle pointed to the left. "Of course, Master Luke," he said. Luke was left-handed. It hadn't been evident the day before, but then again Luke didn't do much that needed his dominant hand.

"That means you need to go find a weapon," Luke continued. "Even if you can't fight, you can at least hold up a sword for me to hit."

It was time to double for a practice dummy, Loki supposed. It grated on his nerves, but he had to be patient. It could be worse, at least. If he wasn't getting beaten up the Duke would have him on other duties in the manor. His pride balked at the thought of cleaning toilets.

A few minutes later he was armed and standing in the manor's courtyard opposite Luke. The gardener, Pere, was already hard at work on the flowerbeds outside of Luke's room. The old man shot them curious looks but didn't pause in his duties.

"So am I to stand here and allow you to attack me?" Loki asked.

Luke drew his weapon – wooden, like the one Loki held – and took a ready stance. Loki studied it with interest. Luke's feet were planted shoulder length apart, his right foot forward and his left not quite exactly behind it. This put Luke's body at an angle in relation to Loki. His right hand held nothing, but his sword he held down and away from his body.

A ready stance, Loki decided. More geared for attack rather than defense, but with his feet placed as they were Luke could certainly manage a jump backwards. On closer inspection, however, Loki noticed the flaws on that stance. It wasn't solid. One good hit in the right place would knock him off balance, and in a fight that could cost him his life.

Loki blinked. None of the book he'd devoured had covered combat. In the same way that he still held the ability to speak, it seemed he also had knowledge of combat. Interesting, but it didn't matter at this point. He was not Luke's teacher.

"All right," Luke said as she shifted his weight. "Just hold the sword straight up. I'm going to try some slashes."

Loki did as he was instructed. He felt his body shift into its own combat stance – his footing was similar to Luke's, but rather than hold his sword in one hand he held it in both. He shifted a bit experimentally and felt the strength in his stance. It would take Luke a great deal of effort to knock him down.

He hoped.

Luke blinked at him. "You didn't tell me you knew how to fight."

"It's as much of a surprise to me, I assure you," Loki said dryly. The cynical part of his brain was telling him that knowing how to stand was another thing entirely from knowing how to fight. "Now, please do as you wish. I am ready."

Luke charged. For the next few minutes Loki braced himself as Luke slashed at the sword he held. The weapon was hardly moved by the force.

Finally Luke retreated. "Strong," he panted. "It felt like I was hitting a brick wall."

Loki lowered the sword. "What next?" he asked instead of addressing the statement. What would he say?

Luke frowned at him. "I'm curious now. I'm going to attack again. This time, defend yourself. I want to see what you can do."

It turned out Loki could do quite a lot. When he struck back Luke was on his back within seconds. When he evaded he was faster than Luke could see. When he defended, Luke whaled on his sword with all his strength but Loki barely batted an eye.

"That's so cool!" Luke exclaimed. He flopped on the ground to catch his breath, sword carelessly discarded on the ground next to him. "Man, I wish I was like you. No memories and you can still kick ass."

Loki settled on the ground as well, though his posture was much more dignified. He set his sword across his knees – it might be a wooden blade but it didn't deserve the dishonor of being set on the ground. "I can assure you, Master Luke, I would much rather have memories than combat skill."

"Still, it's awesome. If I could fight as well as you I wouldn't need to be stuck in here." Luke looked past Loki's shoulder, at the wall of the manor, and sighed. "If I could fight like you I could leave. If Malkuth tried anything I could defend myself."

"Combat skill isn't everything," Loki noted. Though now, he supposed, he had a means to earn an income outside the manor walls. He no longer needed to be Luke's toy.

He looked at Luke and frowned. It was demeaning, he told himself. He would much rather take his chances outside of the manor's walls and stand on his own.

Then Luke grinned at him and he couldn't help his smile in return. A few more days of this wouldn't hurt, he decided. He did owe Luke for convincing Duke Fabre to let him stay. Until this mysterious Guy returned, it didn't feel right leave Luke alone.

"It is!" Luke replied fiercely. He snatched his sword up and leaped to his feet. "That's what Master Van tells me. If I'm strong enough Malkuth won't dare hurt me again. If I'm strong enough I'll be allowed to leave."

Loki nodded as if he understood. In reality he was wondering at the education Luke had received. It wasn't like Luke was the only one capable of fighting. Guards could be hired.

Loki blinked. Of course guards could be hired – he knew of a dozen scattered about this very mansion. Was it too much of a bother to assign a few to the young noble in order for him to venture forth?

Something was fishy. His instincts were telling him that there was more to this story. Even so, there was nothing he could do. He would have to do more research. Only more information would uncover the truth of this situation.

"Now," Luke declared, "get up! I have to keep practicing until Master Van gets here. Maybe he'll tell me I did a good job and let me move on!"

Loki rose and took his stance again. When Luke attacked again, he dodged. When he turned around, he saw Luke slice clean through an exact clone of Loki. The clone faded like mist and Luke staggered forward.

Well. This was new. Loki replayed the last few seconds in his head. Something had pulled on his strength right before his dodge, something that felt similar to the seventh fonist's green glowing from the night before.

"What the hell was that?" Luke demanded when he regained his feet. Loki filed away that feeling to analyze in full later.

"I am as confused as you," he assured Luke. At least the young man didn't seem to be mad about his humiliation. Not having to deal with an angry, spoiled child noble was one less thing to worry about. He glanced at the sky – if Auldrant's day was this many hours long and the sun was this high in the sky… "Master Luke, perhaps we should take a break. You have been practicing so long we missed breakfast." Loki's stomach was grandly informing him of that. Despite eating the night before it felt as if his last meal had been days ago.

Luke also looked at the sky and grumbled. "Yeah, you're right. It's time for lunch, and then Master Van should be coming." He looked glanced sideways at Loki. "I have no need of your services this afternoon," he declared loudly. "Master Van will be training me all afternoon. "

Loki read into those words what Luke truly meant: do with this afternoon as he wished. He inclined his head in understanding. "Yes, Master Luke."

This afternoon, he decided, he would get out of the manor. He would see Baticul for himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki is being kind to my plotbunnies, so here is chapter 3 already! I apologize if it feels like the plot is dragging - I'm trying to combine a bit of world building, character introductions, and Loki's character development all in one. Once Abyss's plot kicks off then things will become more action packed and move faster. I still don't plan to do a complete rewrite of the Tales of the Abyss game, but there are a few events I can foresee turning out differently thanks to Loki's involvement. And there's one event that I'm having to figure out a way to keep Loki from changing - it's instrumental to the plot, but Loki is far too smart not to see it coming.

But, that's the future. For now, have this chapter. Reviews make me feel fuzzy!

I still don't own anything. I wish I could have Loki, though!

* * *

Loki stared out at the sea from the safety of Baticul's harbor. The sun was edging towards the horizon and he knew he should soon return to the Fabre manor. Still, there was no pressing need for him to sleep. All that he would do in the manor, likely, was rest in his room until there was no one save the guards to witness his retreat to the library.

There were still a few shops open. Loki reached into the pocket of his servant's outfit and traced the few gold coins still left there – his payment for the past two days of service. On his way out of the manor Luke's mother, the Lady Fabre, had encountered him and pressed these coins into his hand.

Loki recalled the words she'd spoken. "Luke hasn't been this happy in years," she'd told him. "Please, even if your servitude is in repayment for a trespass you don't remember, take this."

Kindness. Loki rolled the word over in his head as the first stars made their presence known. Even knowing the word and what it meant it felt foreign to him. Why would people do things without asking for anything in return?

Would he? Loki turned from the sea – so vast, so empty, with such an intense blue that his heart ached from it – and started back towards the cable cars that would take him to the main streets of Baticul. Every action these past two days, he thought, was motivated by his instinct for survival. Every thought was geared towards what would gain him the most reward.

On the cable car he paused. Luke, he remembered. With a way to earn money that didn't involve being the plaything of a spoiled brat, he had decided before to remain with Luke. He frowned as he puzzled out his own feelings. Once he sorted out his own combat skills there was no reason he could not gift those skills to others. Even that was not kindness, as he expected monetary compensation for those efforts.

Staying with Luke despite that… was that kindness?

Lady Fabre's words had made Loki happy, silly as it seemed. He departed the cable car and dodged the hordes that were taking the coming night as a sign to return home. When he heard that Luke was happy with his efforts there had been no calculation in his thoughts. There was simply joy that his efforts made a difference in Luke's life. The child was confined for a trespass committed against him, but thanks to Loki his imprisonment was more tolerable.

An elevator took him past the other levels of Baticul and straight to the top, where the royalty and nobility called home. So, kindness. Loki recalled that warm feeling again. It could be called satisfactory recompense, he decided. Not all payment needed to be made in gold coins.

Though he would take the coins, if they were offered.

The guard at the gate to Fabre Manor nodded as he passed. The sun was truly down, now, and torches were being set up along the walls inside and outside the manor. He paused in the entrance hall, then made his way to the Duke's chambers.

"What is it?" Duke Fabre asked him through his open door.

"With your blessing, Duke, I have made purchases in town," Loki said humbly. With the gold – gald, he reminded himself – that Lady Fabre had given him he'd stopped by a clothes maker. Within days his wardrobe would no longer consist of a servant's outfit and a leather getup that made him stand out. "Lacking any other address to give for delivery I provided them yours."

The Duke nodded. "My wife told me of the payment she gave you. I will inform the guard at the gate to watch for your packages. They will be delivered to your room."

Loki inclined his head. "Thank you, Duke. I will take my leave now."

He returned to his room to wash up. He'd missed dinner, but in anticipation of this event his meal had been taken at a small restaurant in Baticul's lowest level. Luke was likely back in his room, and that left Loki with the rest of the night to himself.

Around midnight he once again ventured to the library. Not being able to sleep was wearing on his nerves. Still, reading about the magic of Auldrant was interesting enough for him to forget his annoyance.

Then it was time to entertain Luke again. "So what'd you do yesterday?" the noble asked. He'd decided that climbing the trees in the garden was a good way to pass the time. While Loki watched him from the ground he was lounging in a fork of the tree that looked rather worn.

"I walked around Baticul," Loki replied neutrally. He knew Luke's reaction to that even before the noble twisted himself around so he could hang between the branches of the tree.

"Really? So how was it?" Luke asked. He waved at Loki. "Come on, come up. I can see a bit of the city from here. You can tell me about it."

Loki hesitated and eyed the trunk presented to him. Luke had climbed it with the ease of practice, a bit like a monkey really. Loki recalled Luke's movements and replicated them with greater effort. Climbing trees was not something that had occurred to him.

Still, when he had settled on the branch opposite Luke he could look over the manor's walls. If he was Luke, trapped behind these walls for as long as he could remember, any glimpse of the outside was welcome. At least Loki had the freedom to leave.

Luke pointed out at a building. "Did you go there? What was it?"

Loki recounted his walk through the city. At first it was a factual tale, but as his story went on Luke's reactions prompted him to embellish a bit. By the end of his tale he was making a simple walk through the city sound like a grand adventure sneaking through an enemy fortress.

When he finished Luke grinned at him. "Man, you made it sound so fun. I wish I could get out there and see it. I've never seen the sea before."

"You will," Loki found himself saying. It popped out of his mouth even before he could react. He paused, wondering at the feelings behind those two simple words. They came from the same place that liked knowing Luke was happy. Kindness, again?

Luke scowled. "Not until I'm twenty. Three more years of this place. Why can't I just get out now?"

Three years was so many more days than Loki could remember. It was far too long of a time for him to comprehend. He turned his thoughts from that – what use was there in worrying about what was to come? Instead, he said, "Still, Master Luke, is it not better to know when your imprisonment will end?"

"I guess," Luke sighed. He slumped in his seat. "It's just such a long time. Sometimes I wonder if I'm going to die before I get out of here."

"Don't be ridiculous," Loki scolded him. Speaking without thinking again was becoming an unfortunate habit. Careless words would be the end of him. Still, Luke's hopeful look encouraged him to forge on. "Your mother and father love you. They won't allow you to perish before you can step foot outside the walls."

"It's not like Father shows it," Luke grumped. "He hardly even looks at me."

Loki paused to measure his words. "I do not know much about the world," he admitted at length. It was a weakness, and weaknesses should remain hidden. If he were with an enemy who knew of his shortcomings he would be at a disadvantage. Still, with Luke, he didn't feel weak to admit this. Perhaps it was because of Luke's own loss of memory. "Perhaps there is some factor weighing on your father to prevent him from showing his affection."

"Or maybe he doesn't love me at all," Luke said bitterly. "I know I'm a disappointment. It took me years to even learn the basics, when Natalia was learning her royal duties. They don't even bother to try to tutor me anymore. A few months ago I had Guy chasing me around with books, but now…" Luke sighed. "Father's just given up."

Something about that felt familiar. An echo of Loki's lost memories, perhaps? It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. Without a context there was no way to decipher these bitter feelings. Still, it allowed Loki to ponder on the situation.

"With all due respect, Master Luke, I would expect that you would try to live up to their expectations." When Luke looked at him, his features indignant, Loki continued. His overly formal talk didn't seem to do the boy and service and so he settled for more common words. "Speaking freely, Young Master, by not proving yourself you're reinforcing their image of you. If they have high standards for you and you constantly underperform, of course they're going to lower their expectations."

"Are you calling me worthless?" Luke demanded.

It would not do to anger his only friend in this place. Doing so was wonderful way to end up in Baticul's streets. "You're not worthless, no one is," Loki assured him. Perhaps even an amnesiac master of wordplay could find worth in a world like this. "But if you don't constantly prove that worth, others might not see it."

Luke's anger changed to contemplation. "Huh," was all he said as he looked back out at the little bit of Baticul he could see beyond these walls.

Loki didn't sigh in relief, though he wanted to. Disaster averted. Luke was a petulant child in the body of a strong teenager. Loki hadn't realized just how volatile a combination that was.

It was best to watch his words around Luke for a while. Loki realized that he'd grown careless. Luke's easy demeanor allowed him the illusion of friendship. The reality was that Loki was still considered a servant. Servants who disagreed with their masters, or angered them, did not last very long in their position.

A new voice startled him out of his thoughts. "So, Luke, it looks like you found a new friend."

Loki looked down at the newcomer – blond, blue eyes, his outfit a combination of dark tan and pale browns and oranges. He had a sword slung easily on his hip, not belted to his side. If Loki was right, that sword as a whole was removed for combat. Perhaps the sheath was used as a secondary blade?

Luke looked down, too, and his pensive mood was erased with a happy shout. "Guy! You're back!"

Loki winced in sympathy as Guy found himself doubling as an impact cushion and giant toy. Luke didn't seem to care that his leap from the tree had knocked Guy flat. He squeezed the other boy tightly enough that Loki found himself wondering if Guy could even breathe. Luke released him before suffocation became an issue and beamed down at the other boy.

"I'm so glad you're home," the redhead enthused. "A lot has happened and I have so much to tell you."

"I can see that," Guy gasped. "Could I please get up first?"

"Ah, sorry." Luke scrambled upright and held a hand out for Guy. The other boy took it and pulled Luke off balance before taking his own feet. Luke scowled, but his scowl was soon replaced by a smile.

"So, who's this?" Guy asked, locking eyes with Loki. Loki saw calculation, curiosity, determination in those eyes. Measuring Loki's threat level and whether or not that threat needed ending, no doubt.

"Guy, this is Loki," Luke introduced. He put his hands on his hips and mock-glared up at Loki. "Come on, get down here. It's hard to do a proper introduction with you all the way up there."

Jumping down didn't seem to be the most expedient route to the ground. The fastest, yes, Luke could attest to that, but if he'd lacked a Guy-pillow he'd likely be rolling on the ground in pain. Loki doubted Guy would be so forthcoming a second time. He glanced down at the tree trunk but could not recall the path he'd used to arrive at this precarious perch.

Loki sighed. If it came down to it, he was certain Luke would summon the seventh fonist again. Even if he'd angered the noble with his last words Luke didn't seem the type to allow him to suffer.

He adjusted his position on the tree, said a quick prayer to Yulia – the goddess of this world, worshipped as reverently as the Score – and slipped off the branch. To his and Luke's surprise, his impact with the ground didn't result in a snapped ankle and an undignified howl of pain. Loki's legs shifted with ease to absorb the impact.

Luke whistled. "Damn, that was impressive. That had to be, what, twenty feet?"

"You fell from that height as well, Young Master," Loki pointed out. As he spoke he filed this new information to the growing list of knowledge he held about his own capabilities. He was eloquent, he was pretty, he had combat skills, and he could jump easily from heights that would injure others.

Loki resisted the urge to scowl at one of those adjectives. Pretty. He was a man, he did not do pretty. Handsome, perhaps. Dashing was also acceptable. He could, even, deal with good-looking.

Luke didn't care about the adjectives in Loki's thoughts. "Still, your landing was freaking graceful. If the maids had seen it…" His expression turned wicked and he smirked. "Maybe I should order you to do it again after I get some maids here. That's some entertainment right there."

"Luke," Guy sighed. He rubbed his brow in a gesture Loki translated as, _why did I come back here?_ "You're ignoring your duties again."

"Ah, right." Thoughts of torment forgotten, Luke gestured to Guy. "This is my usual servant and best friend Guy Cecil. Guy, this is Loki. I found him in the garden and Father put him to work as your replacement as punishment for trespassing."

Guy extended his hand and, after a moment, Loki took it in his own. Strong hands, he thought as they shook. Callused to the sword from a young age. They were prominent even through the gloves the other wore.

"So you were in the garden?" Guy asked curiously. "What were you doing there?"

It appeared Guy was the only person in the manor not to know of Loki's amnesia. Before Loki could explain Luke jumped in and babbled out an explanation. The only coherent parts of it were "amnesia" and "Loki."

To his credit, Guy seemed quite capable of translating Luke-speech. "So Loki, you woke up in the garden without any memory?" he asked. "And the Duke put you to work?"

Loki nodded. "I do not think it was entirely out of the goodness of his heart," he confessed. His sleepless nights did nothing to dampen his thoughts and he had plenty of hours to contemplate between books. "On my walk through the city yesterday I counted no less than three watchers." By the time he'd arrived at the port – his final stop of the night – he'd stopped paying attention to his followers. He knew he was doing nothing wrong.

Luke opened his mouth – whether to defend his father or protest the follows it was unkown – but Guy spoke first. "You're probably right. It would be irresponsible of him to take in an unknown person without keeping watch. I don't doubt you've been observed your entire time here."

It was likely, then, that Duke Fabre knew of his sleepless nights. Loki nodded. "Yes, you're right. Even know I'm being watched." He didn't point out the watcher physically. It wouldn't do to let the observer know that he knew that he was being scrutinized. "On the roof of the building nearest us, a guard without his armor is keeping an eye on us."

Luke peered in that direction, eliciting a sigh from Loki. Guy snickered. "Luke, you are quite less than subtle," the blond said fondly.

"Indeed," Loki concurred. "Young Master, if you wish to avoid another kidnapping, remember the first rule of being followed: Do not let them know that you are aware of them."

"So how do you deal with them?" Luke frowned. He tore his eyes away from the watcher with great effort and focused on Loki instead.

"If they have hostile intent, your best course of action is to find a populated place. The more your watchers have to focus on the easier it will be to slip their gaze," Loki mused. It was common sense that guided his words, not any sense of knowing. "Once you've masked your presence in the crowd, make your way to a side street and slip away. Once you're certain your watchers know not where you've gone, hide away and wait out their search. They will assume you've slipped their net and seek you elsewhere."

Guy nodded. "Man, that's pretty good for a guy who doesn't know who he is."

Loki ducked his head, projecting uncertainty. "It is as it is, Mr. Cecil. It is a logical deduction."

"So what about the guys who know about that tactic?" Luke asked him.

Loki frowned. What, indeed? After a moment he spoke. "If that is the case, you must change your attire and mask your identifying features. For you, Master Luke, that would be your red hair. That shade is easy to pick out even in a crowd. Cover it with a hood, or tie it up and put on a hat."

"That's still impressive," Guy said. He glanced at the sky – Loki presumed he was estimating the time. "I've already reported the results of my journey to the Duke. He requested your presence, Loki, after you've updated me on any goings-on with Luke."

Informal address. That was more of an indicator of the closeness of his and Luke's relationship than the easy tolerance of a potentially catastrophic injury. This was the second time Guy had referred to Luke without a title. Once could be ignored as a slip of the tongue. Twice indicated that this was a long-held habit.

Loki nodded. "There has not been much going on," he admitted. "We spent this morning in the tree. I spent my afternoon in Baticul and Luke was interested in my adventures."

Guy nodded. "Yeah, he likes this tree. Lets him feel like he's not as trapped." He lifted his hand in a wave that was a clear dismissal. "I'll take care of Luke from here. When I saw the Duke, he was in his office."

Loki bowed his head. "Of course. By your leave, Master Luke."

"Go on, see what Father wants." Luke waved him away. "I hope he lets you stay here," he said wistfully as Loki turned away.

Loki couldn't help his fond smile – not that Luke saw it, but it was so dreadfully annoying that he couldn't control his facial expressions. Allowing his emotions free reign on his face was an easy way to give an enemy information. If Duke Fabre, now that Luke's usual servant had returned, now saw Loki as an enemy…

Come to think of it, Loki pondered as he walked the manor, showing that he was fond of Luke might work in his favor. He decided to start as the dutiful, grateful servant and play this next encounter by ear.

"Guy has returned," Duke Fabre noted after he'd entered the room. He was at his desk with books and papers stacked neatly around him. "Luke no longer has need of you to occupy his time. What do you think should be done now?"

Loki tried not to let his emotions show on his face. What, indeed? All he knew was servitude and aiding Luke. "Yesterday I learned that I have some combat skills," he confessed neutrally. "Should you deem my trespass has been repaid and release me from your service, I believe I can make a living in Baticul's lower levels as an instructor."

The Duke's face was unreadable. "So you're prepared to leave this manor and set out to find the truth of your identity in the world?"

Loki allowed a shrug. "My fate is in your hands, Master Duke. I have merely considered the possibilities."

"A diplomatic answer," the Duke nodded, impressed. "So tell me, Loki – what is it that you wish to do?"

Not expecting that question, Loki paused. What, indeed? The only bit of freedom he'd been permitted in his short time here had been at Luke's hands. Being set free to walk Baticul's streets had felt wonderful. On the other hand, with no real-world knowledge to tell him what he should do, it was also a bit frightening as well. Not that he would admit it.

"I don't know," he answered finally. It was a completely honest answer. "Luke is a good child and a kind master, but unlike him I do not feel as if I could live out my entire life behind these walls. However, I do not know of another life."

Duke Fabre nodded. "Have you heard of the Score?" he asked.

"Yes. It is the prophecy meant to guide the world into prosperity." Its purpose here, however, was questionable. Loki raised an eyebrow. "What of it?"

"Just as there is a Score to guide the world on its path, there is a Score for each individual," the Duke explained. "Perhaps you should visit the royal Scorer and have him read yours. Even without a memory you should still have a Score. I have no doubt that your memory loss was foreseen. Your Score may tell you what it is you should do next."

So Loki should turn to this Score? It held more answers than he, certainly. "Of course, Master Duke."

The Duke scribbled something on a piece of paper and held it out. "This will allow you into the castle. I would advise that you go right away. "

It was framed as a suggestion but Loki knew it to be the command it was. "I shall do as you suggest," he said simply. "Thank you, Duke Fabre."


	4. Chapter 4

This is the last chapter of the dragging dragsters of tedium before we get into the real meat of the Tales of the Abyss plot, guest-starring Loki. I will admit, it's been a while since I played/watched Abyss so some of the details are fuzzy. I have to go read a synopsis to refresh my memory. It shouldn't take long, though, so the only delay in the next chapter should be in whether or not my fingers cooperate.

I must say, I enjoyed writing Loki in the second half of this chapter. He was finally allowed a bit of freedom in his actions and his natural snark is carrying over. You shall have to read to see what I mean, but I don't doubt you'll enjoy it.

Warnings are the same, aside from Luke's foul language later on. I still don't own Tales of the Abyss or Loki.

* * *

"Hm," the Scorer said noncommittally. His hands glowed green as they hovered over a nondescript piece of formerly-gray rock. "Mr. Loki, you said? No last name?"

"Not one that I'm aware of," Loki answered. He eyed the rock with interest – once the Scorer had turned to it and focused, the rock had turned into glimmering prism of rainbow light. It was fascinating, but ultimately not the reason of his visit. He turned his attention from the stone to the Scorer whom he hoped held some answers for him.

The Scorer hummed under his breath. "Well, Mr. Loki, it doesn't appear that you have a Score. This has only ever happened once that I can recall, and that was to a woman who was fated to die but survived instead."

"So the Score has been wrong before?" Loki asked. His understanding was that the Score was immutable.

"Only the once. The woman learned of her fate ahead of time and orchestrated a means to avert it. Perhaps that is the case with you, as well." The Scorer lowered his hands and the rock returned to its previous gray color. "It is unusual, though. In her case, her Score from years past was still visible. I am finding nothing for you."

Of course his life wouldn't be that easy. Loki hid his annoyance with ease – all the Scorer would see was disappointment. "So is there nothing you can tell me? Do you see anything even relating to me?"

The Scorer shook his head. "I have searched the Scores of all those within the Fabre household within the time period you spoke of. None of them mention an unusual visitor."

Interesting. Loki added this knowledge to the growing stockpile he was compiling. A picture was being painted, one that he was sure the denizens of Auldrant would not take well. It was best to keep his conclusions to himself until he was certain of them.

"I thank you for your efforts," was all he said to the Scorer.

On his return to Fabre Manor, he related the results of his visit to the Duke – well, mostly. "The Scorer couldn't find my true identity," he told Duke Fabre. "According to his words, my Score continues on with my identity unknown. He could not reveal the details without compromising my future."

The Duke nodded. "I expected as much. So, Loki, you have several options ahead of you."

Though Loki knew full well what these options were, he acted like he was surprised by the words. "How do you mean, Master Duke?" he asked, as was expected of him.

He was surprised at his sudden desire for duplicity. It came to him as easily as the breaths he drew, though these last few days there had been no need for it. The truth had served him far better than any lies he had sought to tell.

Now, though, there was a fact that he wished to keep hidden. It was that desire that was leading this newfound lust for deception. He frowned inwardly, though the Duke saw nothing of his thoughts. Lying to those who showed him only kindness left a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach.

If they knew the truth of what he suspected of his true nature, he wondered how long that kindness would last. He would have to curtail this deceptive behavior, limit it only to what truly needed hiding. When no lies were needed he would have to refrain from using them.

It was with this in mind that Loki returned his thoughts to the Duke. His inner turmoil had passed in an imperceptible amount of time and the Duke was oblivious.

"Luke has expressed the desire to keep you around," the elder Fabre said. "Even with Guy's return, he has taken a shine to you. I'm sure I can find a position for you here that would satisfy him."

As a servant, still, Loki had no doubt. The truth, he reminded himself. "Actually, Master Duke, I believe that I could serve the young master well by attempting to resume his studies." At the Duke's surprised look, he continued, "He told me that due to his… temperament, he no longer receives an education."

"He drove every tutor into hysterical fits," the Duke said dryly. "He either skipped lessons entirely, asked constant, infuriating questions, or mistook them for sparring partners. The last tutor we employed swore he was unable to be taught."

That fit Luke's personality well enough, Loki thought dryly.

"I also have to wonder at how well you will be able to educate him," the Duke continued. "You yourself have admitted that you have no knowledge beyond what you've been told here."

Loki allowed himself a bit of a smirk. "With all due respect, Master Duke, you do have a library."

"Which you have made use of each night that you were here," the Duke admitted ruefully. "I do wonder at how you can function so well with so little sleep, but it is not important. Tell me, what have you learned?"

Loki detailed his readings, from Auldrant's history to the maths and sciences of the night before. That last was quite interesting. From what he'd read, it was science that formed the basis of the so-called "fonic artes" the people of Auldrant employed. Provided the Duke allowed him to remain, his next topic of reading was to be fonic artes.

The Duke seemed impressed. Halfway through Loki's lecture on Daath he waved for the amnesiac to stop. "I get it. You are quite the quick study. There was a tutor who was willing to tackle Luke's studies, and you seem to be able to weather the boy's moodiness. If the tutor draws up the lesson plans, would you be willing to teach Luke?"

"Of course." Loki hesitated before continuing – more truth, but admitting so personal a thing felt weak. "I have…" He hesitated, frowning at his own indecision. The words that never failed him were now unwilling to flow from his lips. "Master Luke may act brash and reckless, but underneath that veneer there lies a kindness I doubt he allows to show. He has shown me this kindness and I am grateful for it."

"He wouldn't like hearing that," the Duke said wryly.

"He would bluster and insist that his kindness was of some benefit to him in some way," Loki agreed. Perhaps it was, in Luke's view. Then he paused, realizing just what it was he'd said. "Ah, I meant no offense," he backtracked hastily.

"You speak the truth, why should I get offended?" The Duke smiled, though it faded after a moment. "It sounds like you've grown fond of him as well."

Natural attachment, Loki wanted to say. Luke was the first he had met, the first to show him unconditional trust. It was only reasonable that he would have fond feelings towards the boy. He was trying to be honest, though, so he only said, "He is kind."

"Not many people would use that adjective to describe my son," the Duke noted. "So," he continued, his tone indicating a change in topic. Or, Loki surmised, a return to their previous discussion. "If you are a tutor then you're no longer a servant. Your packages arrived today and are waiting in your room."

Loki inclined his head. "Of course."

"Keep in mind that, even though you are mentoring Luke, he is still your superior. You may discipline him if he doesn't complete his studies, but in all else he is your Master still." Duke's tone was grave enough that Loki got the point. He was still, essentially, Luke's servant in all but name.

"I will return this uniform to you that you may use it for another," was Loki's response. "If Luke calls on me outside of his lessons I will respond."

The Duke nodded his approval. "Very good. You are dismissed. The tutor will arrive in the morning. I leave Luke's education in your, and his, capable hands."

"Thank you," Loki said. He retreated from the Duke's office to his room. The garments he'd purchased had indeed arrived. He pulled out the black pants, green short-sleeved shirt, and black vest – they weren't the highest quality of material but they sufficed. If he'd spent his meager earnings on the better material he could not have afforded the extra shirt he was now hanging in his wardrobe.

Getting out of the servant's outfit was a relief. Loki adjusted the trousers on his waist and debated whether or not he should tuck his shirt in. After studying his reflection in the mirror he discovered on the inside of the wardrobe, he shoved the hem of the shirt inside his pants. He might be amnesiac but that was no reason to look sloppy.

With his vest on he frowned. The style was reminiscent of his servant uniform. Still, the colors were different enough that he doubted the common person would mistake him for a servant. The deep emerald of the shirt was muted by the darkness of the vest.

The sun was again setting. This was how many days, now? Loki folded the servant's outfit and set it aside to return in the morning. His third night? Fourth? The days were starting to blur together.

The last garment out of the package was a pair of shorts that allowed him freedom of movement. He couldn't wear the same clothes day in and day out, after all. These shorts would allow his clothes a chance to be washed. That was also the purpose behind buying two shirts.

The sun was down. The manor was winding down. Loki dressed in his nighttime outfit and made his way to the library.

* * *

"You didn't have to tie him to his chair," Guy commented wryly. Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you truly believe he would have stayed put had I done anything but?" the amnesiac returned in kind.

Luke frowned at them both. "This isn't funny, Loki. Untie me and I promise I won't do anything permanently damaging to you."

Loki smirked at him. "Master Luke, your father has given me full authority over your studies. This is the third day in a row you've attempted to hide away rather than take this test. I have no doubt he would applaud my methods."

"I'm going to force you to clean out my bathroom with your toothbrush," Luke threatened. "Then make you brush your teeth with it!"

Loki only waved at him. "Master Luke, I should warn you that I will not release you for any reason prior to the completion of your test. If you feel the need to urinate, use that as an indication that you must work faster."

After a few more grumbles Luke picked up his pencil and set to work. "Damned sadist," he muttered under his breath.

Loki chose to ignore that comment. "You are not permitted any aid on this test," he said instead. "I shall tie Guy down too, if I must."

"That's cold," Guy complained, but he was smiling. "You heard the slave driver, Luke. You're on your own for this one. I hope you studied."

More grumbles were his answer. Despite them, Loki thought he saw a small smile on the boy's face. He turned away from Luke to allow the boy to complete his work.

It was several weeks since his arrival in this manor. All through them his memories remained elusive, though the task of teaching Luke often drove his thoughts from his unknown past. As Loki stared at the garden that was his first memory, he couldn't help his smile.

At first Luke had been glad for his instruction. It appeared that the boy had taken his words to heart and was eager to prove himself. A week in, however, and Luke's enthusiasm had dwindled. The problems Duke Fabre had discussed became apparent.

Loki refused to let the boy fail himself. He followed Duke Fabre's orders, of course – outside of his studies, he obeyed Luke's every word. During those studies, however... well. This was the first time he'd had to tie Luke down to get results.

"I'm done," Luke announced. Loki turned and took the papers the noble presented him. "Now can you please let me up? Master Van is going to be here any minute to train me."

"If you have not passed this," Loki said amiably as he skimmed the papers, "he shall have to be kept waiting." Despite his words he saw there would no need to inconvenience Dorian-General Van Grants. He hadn't met the man – after Luke's lessons he returned to the tutor to discuss the results. To hear Luke talk about his sword instructor, the man could move mountains with his sword alone.

"I can't keep him waiting!" Luke protested. "He can only come once a week! If I miss him this week I can't train for a whole other week. How can I get strong enough to protect myself that way?"

"If your sword is as sharp as your temper you will have no fear." Loki nodded as he reached the end of the test. "A few mistake, but we can address those in a later lesson. You have passed."

"Great!" Luke enthused. He tugged at the belt tying him to his chair. "Now let me up would you? I have to go get my sword."

Loki released Luke and watched the boy run to his room. Being a teacher wasn't much better than being his servant, he thought ruefully, but at least now he didn't have to hold his words as closely. Luke learned best when his efforts were praised and his failings weren't. A good verbal lashing served him well in moderation.

"You handle him well," Guy said fondly. "The other tutors were too scared of him to really punish him. You're not, and he knows it. He needs some of that in his life."

"I refuse to give up on him as all others did," was Loki's answer. When Guy opened his mouth to reply – in assent, or to protest, Loki knew or cared not – he waved his own comment away. "I must go to the tutor and tell him of Luke's progress. Further lessons will be planned based on these results."

"That's way above my head. I'm glad you're here for the intellectual stuff." Guy waved farewell. "I'd better follow Luke. He has a bad habit of getting sidetracked."

Loki was well aware of this habit. He returned the wave and took his own leave. There was a tutor to find.

The tutor seemed impressed by the test Loki handed him. After they discussed the answers the young noble had gotten wrong, the tutor scribbled down a quick lesson plan. It was while Loki was interpreting the creatively-drawn lines that could be considered writing that shouts started echoing through the manor.

"What's going on?" the tutor asked. Loki was wondering this as well but he didn't voice this question.

"I'll go see," he said instead. He set down the papers and stepped out into a group of guards.

"Out of the way!" one of them ordered. Loki found himself inelegantly shoved out of the way. Anger and indignation bubbled within him but he shoved those feelings aside for the moment. Payback later, he promised, but first he would find out what was going on.

He encountered Guy next. The blonde was haphazardly shoving things into bag while he walked towards the manor's entrance. "Guy!" he called.

"Can't talk now," Guy said, though he paused to allow Loki to catch up. He finally settled his bag the way he wanted and slung it over his shoulder.

"What has happened?" Loki wanted to know.

"There was an intruder in the manor," Guy explained. His body language was agitated as he kept glancing at the door. "Luke tried to fight her off and there was a hyperresonance. Both of them vanished in a flash of light."

Hyperresonance – a reaction that occurred when two seventh fonists channeled their powers at once. From what Loki read, this reaction had only occurred before under very controlled circumstances. Not much was known about its effects. This uncertainty allowed Loki to contemplate many outcomes, none of them favorable.

"So why are you leaving?" he asked.

"Dorian-General Grants thinks that Luke and his attacker were transported away on the light. The Duke has asked me to search for him." Guy hefted his bag. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be on my way."

"I'm coming with you," Loki declared. He didn't have to give it a second thought.

Guy hesitated, then nodded. "All right. I'll wait five minutes for you at the front gate."

It didn't take Loki five minutes to get ready. He only had one set of clothes to pack. On his way to meet Guy, he lifted a dagger from an unawares guard. He had no weapon to call his own and considering the cause, he didn't think the guard would mind.

Guy raised an eyebrow at the weapon but didn't comment. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Loki looked at the doors, through which lay Baticul and a world he had yet to see. There were dangers he didn't know, adventures to be had… and one young noble who had been thrust into it without warning. He hoped Luke could keep himself in one piece until they could find him. "Yes," he answered.


	5. Chapter 5

We're finally into the meat of Abyss's plot. Yay! I'm not trying to do a play-by-play retelling of the story, but the scenes that introduce the other party members are rather important. I think the only others that need introduction are Natalia and Asch and then I can start skipping scenes.

I won't have the chance to write on this today or tomorrow. Real life events are sucky. Still, once those events are resolved I'll be able to keep writing and I don't want to stop until I get finished with Abyss's story. Then Loki's tale can truly begin.

Warnings for this chapter: The snarkmaster of the Abyss 'verse makes his appearance. Also, mature themes are discussed later. Loki has lost some of his snark, but I will find it again soon enough. Promise!

I still don't own Tales of the Abyss or Loki. Maybe I'll be able to stop putting this each time!

* * *

"Enter the amazing Guy!"

Loki, from his hiding spot in the shadow of the giant ship, resisted the urge to bury his face in his hand. This was the man that he was forced to partner with in their search for the wayward Luke fon Fabre. Still, he supposed, Guy's flashy entrance was distracting enough to the enemies on the ship that he could work his magic.

He conjured an illusion around Luke and his allies – a woman in brown, her long brown hair obscuring one of her bright blue eyes; a man, perhaps in his thirties, dressed in a bright blue uniform, with blonde hair nearly as long as the first woman's.

Once Guy was finished with his distraction and retreated to the safety of the illusion, green-haired child in tow, the lead enemy looked around in confusion. Seeing nothing, she screamed in rage.

"Where have they gone?" she screeched, looking around wildly. Loki pressed himself deeper into the shadows to avoid her gaze. Know your opponents, his instincts said, and so he studied this woman closely. Thin, fair features. Bright blonde hair pulled back from her face in a spiky ponytail. Keen blue eyes that peered into the shadows in search of him. Her outfit was similar to her friends', a black jacket that reached past her hips and expanded to give the illusion of a dress. Under that was a white miniskirt that heavily emphasized the "mini", though her thigh-high boots made up for the skirt's lack.

If not for the guns she'd wielded moments before, Loki would have thought her merely a bystander. He made careful not to not underestimate anyone he encountered. This was put to the test when the other enemy, a mere child, spoke up.

"My friend can still smell them around here," she said in confusion. "He just can't see them. Is it a fonic arte?"

A spell, Loki's mind translated the term. It was the word this world used for magic, or physical attacks augmented with magic. That he even had a different word for the term said more about his origins than he wanted to know. He turned his thoughts from wordplay and focused on the child. Pink hair, long black dress, a teddy bear that was crudely patched together.

"Jade's artes are sealed," the first woman huffed. "This 'Amazing Guy' or whoever he is must have an ally nearby. Search for him and you find the source of the spell."

Loki smirked. They would only find him if he allowed it. He conjured another illusion, this one of him. He put the illusion in a hood to mask his features – no need to reveal his identity before it was needed. This illusion he had dash out of the shadows and trip over a dip in the dirt loudly. This attracted the attention of the two women who sought him.

"After him, Arietta!" the first woman ordered. "I shall remain here and get the Tartarus working again. The Fon Master can't have gotten far with the illusion master still here."

Arietta leaped on her monster friend and dashed after the illusion. Loki closed his eyes and focused on his spell – he didn't need to do so to look through his clone's eyes, but it was much less distracting. He made the illusion look back so he could see the monster bound forward towards it. The monster was large, lithe, and strong. More than capable of taking his head off in one blow, he surmised.

Loki opened his eyes and looked around for the other woman. There was no sign of her. As he felt his illusion dissipate he crafted another about himself, masking his form. This let him walk from the shadows unhindered to where Luke's group was huddling, still safely behind his first illusion.

"We really shouldn't be staying here," Guy whispered, disgruntled, when Loki made his presence known. "We're lucky they didn't decide to use that monster to sniff us out."

"I had no reason to deduce that my illusions would not mask scent," Loki admitted. It wasn't something to be ashamed of. His powers were still new to him. "However, your concerns are valid. We should be on our way lest the Tartarus run us over."

"How can they if they can't see us?" Luke asked.

"It is precisely because they cannot see us that we are in danger," Loki replied. "If they happen to choose our direction to resume their course, we will be powerless to do anything but be crushed as ants."

They set out towards a town that the man in blue – Jade Curtiss, he introduced himself as – knew was nearby. Not much talking was had until several hours into their journey. The green-haired child Guy had rescued collapsed, so the group as a whole stopped to allow him time to rest.

"So," Jade began after they'd settled into comfortable positions. They formed a circle to face each other – and check behind each other for an ambush, Loki thought.

"Introductions seem expedient," Loki said. Jade looked taken aback by the interruption, the man adjusting the glasses over his bright red eyes. "We can hardly communicate well in battle if we do not know what to call each other, correct?"

"Very well said," Jade concurred. "I am Colonel Jade Curtiss, of Malkuth. I was the officer in charge of the Tartarus before its takeover by the God-Generals."

A new term, God-Generals. Loki filed that away for later. At the very least he presumed that Arietta and her friend were of these God-Generals.

"I'm Tear Grants," the brunette woman introduced next. "I am a Locrian Sergeant within the Order of Lorelei. I'm the one that infiltrated Luke's manor in Baticul and caused us to end up out here."

So she was the mysterious intruder. On their journey here Guy had not given many details. The servant's description of the intruder was clouded by Tear's use a fonic hymn to disable the manor. All he had seen of her was a mass of brown.

That was also Loki's first introduction to the use of songs to cast spells. These hymns were rare, according to Guy. Now that Tear was not a hostile perhaps Loki could ask her about the hymns.

The green-haired child was next. "I am Ion, Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei," he introduced. His garments were ceremonial robes that did a great job of masking his gender. Between them and the twin tails of hair that framed his face Loki had been quite uncertain of his gender.

"You're the leader in Daath," Loki clarified. His words were met with a nod from Ion. "I had not expected the leader of this world's religious order to be nothing more than a child," he noted.

Ion looked away. "There are several within the Order who view me as nothing more than a figurehead. It is this view that has led to the split within the Order. My view that the Score is only a guideline is quite unpopular. Grand Maestro Mohs has capitalized on that to draw followers to him."

Another name. This Grand Maestro Mohs was another piece to the puzzle Loki was crafting of what was happening in this world. Two factions within the world's most powerful government was not conducive to peace.

It was time for him to introduce himself. "I am Loki," he said. "I am Master Luke's tutor within the house Fabre."

"Just Loki?" Tear asked. "No family name?"

He shrugged. "I cannot give the name of a family I do not remember. Its importance is minimal."

"What he means," Luke interjected, "is that he can't remember anything before a few weeks ago."

Jade's eyes on Loki weren't entirely comfortable. "You can't remember anything from your past?" he repeated.

Loki shook his head. "Waking in Master Luke's garden is the first memory I have."

"Yet your mastery of language is impressive, as are your artes," Jade pressed. "Don't you think it's odd that you can't remember your past but you can still do all of this?"

Loki shrugged. "What I can or cannot do is of no importance, Colonel Curtiss. What I focus on is supplementing the knowledge I still have with more that can aid me. My past, beneficial as it would be to remember it, is not essential for that."

"Hm." Jade silenced after this, his ruby orbs contemplative.

"I'm Guy Cecil," Guy finished the introductions. "I'm Luke's personal servant. Since he got kidnapped on my watch it's my duty to bring him home."

They sat in silence for a few minutes once everyone knew the identities of the others. Loki found his eyes drawn to Tear. She was a member of Daath's military, so whose side had she taken: Ion's, or Mohs's?

She stared back impassively, though one of her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. Loki averted his gaze, only to lock eyes with Jade instead. The colonel masked his observations behind another glasses-push.

"So, Ion," Luke said. All eyes locked on him as he asked, "Why do you need to meet with my uncle anyway?"

Luke's uncle was the king of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. That had been a shock to Loki, finding out that the petulant noble in his care was to be the future ruler of the kingdom.

Ion sighed. "Mohs is trying to start a war between Malkuth and Kimlasca for reasons that are confidential to the Order. I do not believe this is the right thing to do and so I left Daath to broker peace instead."

"So why would Master Van say that you had been kidnapped?" Luke asked.

"Van was likely told I was by Mohs. By leaving Daath I threatened Mohs's plans, so he spread the story that I had been kidnapped to try to make villains of Malkuth."

"So when you show up on King Ingobert's doorstep in the company of a group from Malkuth, their suspicions will be confirmed," Loki mused. "You will be sent back to Daath like the good puppet you are while Colonel Jade and his entourage are slaughtered."

"Poetic," Guy remarked dryly.

"Accurate," Jade added. "That is why, Master Luke, we asked for your aid. If we show up in the company of the heir to Kimlasca's throne our chances of success are much greater. King Ingobert should hear us out rather than arrest us on sight."

"So why are you travelling with her?" Guy asked, pointing at Luke. "You're not worried that she's going to try to kill Van again?"

"She won't succeed," Luke said loftily. "Master Van's too strong. It's not a big deal if she tags along."

"I have my own reasons for trying to kill my brother. However, my mission right now is to get Luke back home. It's my fault he's out here at all and it's my duty so see that he's safe," Tear explained. "I won't attempt to take my brother's life again until Luke has returned home."

Family issues were not a pleasant thing to have on a journey to prevent a war, Loki thought. They could very well sabotage this whole effort. He made a note to keep an eye on her – Luke's safety was paramount. If her efforts again endangered his well-being, the dagger at his back would not hesitate to seek her heart.

Loki glanced aside at Guy and saw his thoughts echoed in those blue eyes. He would have an ally, then.

"I think I'm okay now," Ion said after a moment of oppressive silence. "Let's keep on going. Anise should be waiting for us at Saint Binah, right?"

Loki didn't know who this Anise was but Luke seemed to. "If she survived her fall from the Tartarus, yes, that is where she'll meet us," Jade agreed. "Let us be on our way before nightfall."

Anise Tatlin turned out to be a little spitfire of a twelve-year-old girl. Her brown pigtails bounced with every movement while her brown eyes sparkled with her every word. Loki raised an eyebrow at the stuffed toy she wore on her back but otherwise didn't comment.

After meeting up with Anise, their efforts to leave Saint Binah were thwarted by the God-Generals. It was decided that the night would be spent in the town's inn. Since Loki required no sleep he of course volunteered for the night's watch.

It was during the quietest hours of the night, when even the most resolute of night owls gave in to the demands of sleep, that Loki heard the telltale whimpers of a nightmare. He closed the book that was his entertainment for the night – a tawdry romance novel from the inn – but before he could go in search of the source, it found him instead.

Luke wandered into the hotel's common room. "Loki?" he asked fuzzily. His hair was matted with sweat and sticking to his face and clothes. "You still awake?"

"Of course," Loki answered. "What is it that you wish of me?"

Luke settled on the couch next to Loki and brushed his hair out of his face. "I just wanted to talk. I'm having trouble sleeping."

Evident, but Loki didn't make a mention of it. "Talk about what?" he asked instead.

Luke wrung his hands while he thought. "I killed people today," he blurted out. "I can't stop thinking about it. That one man on the Tartarus… I was so scared and I… my sword was in him before I even thought about it."

Emotional turmoil would keep someone awake. Loki frowned and wondered what to say. Luke didn't seem to notice his tied tongue and continued, "I can still see his face. I can still feel the blood on my hand as it spilled out of him. I saw his eyes grow dark, Loki, and that's all I see when I close my eyes. I fought and killed others after that, but it was kind of an automatic thing. That first guy I killed…"

"He would have killed you without hesitation," Loki said with certainty. "You protected your own life. Never feel guilty for that."

"I can't help it! I didn't think killing would be this… this… horrible," Luke whispered. "When I talked about getting strong enough to protect myself, I knew it would involve killing. It's just…"

Loki nodded. "It is quite one thing to read about something, or hear about it. A word is just a word sometimes. Not until you kill someone do you really understand what it is to take a life."

"Right." Luke glanced at Loki. "Do you think you've ever killed anyone?"

"You know I can't remember that," Loki admonished him.

"I know, I know. It's just that you're so okay with combat. You didn't even hesitate when you jumped in to save us today. I was wondering."

"I did nothing that grandiose," Loki corrected. "My illusions saved us but I was hardly in any danger. I don't doubt that without my aid you still would have found your way out of that situation."

Luke sighed. "I guess you're right."

Luke's dejected expression made Loki pause. He wasn't doing a very good job of comforting his young master, was he? "If it came down to it, I would kill to protect you," he said bluntly. "There was no hesitation in my actions today. If my illusions had been revealed, I would have had no qualms about drawing my dagger."

"Even if it made you feel like this afterwards?" Luke asked.

"Yes. Your life is more valuable to me than any stranger's," Loki said without hesitation. "Of course I would grieve – the loss of any sentient life is a tragedy. Knowing that you lived would help ease that pain."

"I guess," Luke said. "So it's okay to feel like this?"

"It means that I was right about you," Loki told him. "You are kind, even if you don't often allow it to show."

Luke scowled. "I'm not a weakling."

"Kindness never is a weakness," Loki said. As the words left his lips he felt a funny weight in his heart. He ignored it to smile at Luke. "If not for your kindness I likely would have starved to death in Baticul's streets. I am grateful to you for that, Master Luke."

Luke sighed. "You know, you don't have to keep calling me master. Guy doesn't."

Loki chose not to address that comment. It didn't feel proper to leave off the honorific. "Is there anything else you need help with?" he asked instead.

"Nah. It's weird but I feel a bit better. I'm gonna go try to sleep." Luke stood and stretched. "Thanks, Loki. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Sleep well," Loki told him. Once Luke was out of the room he sighed. That did not go as well as he would have wished. He really was not one made to offer comfort to others.

At least Luke had looked moderately happier on his way out of the room. Maybe Loki's words had lifted his spirits after all. He picked his book up and flipped to where he'd left off.

Tawdry romance the story might be, but it was better than staring at his feet for several hours. He was another few chapters in when Jade walked in. For the early hour he seemed rather cheerful – or as cheerful as he ever got.

"I'm here to relieve you," the colonel announced.

Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "Did Master Luke or Guy not inform you that I do not sleep?"

"They did mention it, but I inferred that they were exaggerating." Jade looked him over critically. "There are no dark circles under your eyes and your limbs aren't trembling. You really don't sleep?"

Loki shook his head. "The last time I did was when I awoke in Master Luke's garden."

"Interesting." Jade hummed under his breath before sitting down. "I meant to ask you about that. So you have no memory of your past, yet your amnesia is not complete. I wonder what could have caused it."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Loki answered honestly. His wording left much to be desired but Jade understood his meaning. "Luke's memory loss was complete. I understand that he had to learn even the most basic of things again." He closed his book and raised an eyebrow at Jade. "I noticed your interest in me when I mentioned my memory loss. Why would it concern you?"

Jade adjusted his glasses, a sign that he was thinking. "Memory loss in an indication of something I have great interest in. However, I don't believe your amnesia is related."

"What is it you thought?" Loki pressed. Information was what he sought, any information that could shed light on his condition. Even if Jade did not think his amnesia was related, there were no guarantees."

After a moment, Jade asked, "What do you know of replicas?"

"Nothing. This is the first I've heard of this term. What are they?" This was much more interesting than a romance. Loki set the book aside and settled back to listen intently.

"Replicas are copies. Many years ago a technology was invented that could create an exact physical copy of any item." Jade scowled. "This technology can also be used to create replicas of living beings. The replica is, as with the inanimate objects, an exact physical copy of the original creature. However, when humans were copied, the replicas were found to be mental blank slates. No one has ever managed to create a replica with the memories of its original."

"So a replica will have to be taught everything over again," Loki surmised. "When you heard of my memory loss you presumed I was one of these replicas." His summation caught at his memories, reminding him of something. Once he realized what it was he frowned. There was no need to give voice to this suspicion.

"Yes, but I do not believe you can be. Your memory loss appears to be the more common amnesia attributed to mental trauma." Jade shook his head. "Forgive me my suspicion. Perhaps I should get back to bed. If you can take care of the night watch then there is no need for me to remain awake. Good night."

Jade was turning out to be one of those whose quirks was best overlooked, Loki mused. He shook his head of the strange encounter, and the unwanted thought that he could not set aside.

It was time to find out how this romance ended.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the wait! Real life issues prevented me from working on this as much as I wanted. Also, I had to re-familiarize myself with Abyss's plot through a walkthrough on youtube. Because of this I acknowledge that Anise rejoined the party too soon - she should have rejoined in this chapter rather than the previous. It's not a major detail but it bothers me.

I said I wasn't going to do a full-game rewrite but there are just so many little things that Loki focuses on. He comes to a certain conclusion about Luke last chapter, and this chapter confirms that conclusion. Also, I've decided that there is a way for Loki to get tiny little hints about his identity. You'll have to read ahead to see what I mean.

Standard warnings apply. I don't own Tales of the Abyss or Loki. With that out of the way, enjoy!

* * *

While Jade explained the situation to Van, Loki took the opportunity to weigh all of the current information as well. Their journey from Saint Binah to this port – Kaitzur, a military establishment right on the border between Malkuth and Kimlasca – had not been uneventful. Between roving bands of monsters and the odd patrol of Order of Lorelei soldiers, it was quite frankly incredible that none of their party had sustained any grievous injury.

Loki's dagger had seen his fair share of the combat. Monsters, in their reliance on instinct, were not easily fooled by his illusions. The soldiers were in that respect easier for him to fight. He overpowered them quite easily.

He thought back to his conversation with Luke back in Saint Binah. During these last few days he had killed. Despite his confident words in the safety of the inn it was not as easy as he claimed. Yes, he was trained to it. Perhaps in his mysterious past his kills had been numerous. Without those memories to fall on, his kills now were troubling. Life was precious, right? So what right had he to take it away?

He glanced at Luke – not his first time doing so in these past few days. The young noble was focused on his idol, Van, with a fanatical fervor that deeply troubled Loki. He put those concerns aside for the moment and just looked at his young charge. His conscience needed reminding of the reason those lives had been lost.

His stomach settled again. Loki returned his thoughts to their arrival at Kaitzur – and the red-headed God-General who had made an attempt on Luke's life. With Luke on the ground defenseless, Loki's reaction had been to summon an illusion to occupy the God-General's attention while he circled around to attack.

Asch's face had caused him to pause. Then he lost his chance to end this threat when Van jumped in. A few heated words later, Asch the God-General leaped away in disgust.

Loki glanced at Luke again, this time for a different reason. His thoughts cast back to his conversation with Jade and the conclusion he had arrived at. It was looking ever more likely. What, he thought, should he do with this information?

For now he would keep his mouth shut.

Jade finally finished telling of their travels. After a few words regarding Van's questionable loyalties – the God-Generals were apparently under his command – the General left them to ready their ride for departure.

When their group arrived at the port, they found it aflame. The bodies of soldiers were scattered everywhere while sailors fled the water's edge. Loki would have preferred to stay away from the danger and take Luke with him. His companions had other ideas and, with a sigh no one saw, he followed them.

"Arietta!" Van yelled when they arrived. He was facing the young girl, whose back was to the water. She clutched her mockery of Anise's Tokunaga plush doll close. "What are you doing? I gave you no such orders!"

Arietta flushed in the face of her commander's anger. "I'm sorry, Van! Asch asked me to do this. He told me to kidnap the engineer who could fix the ship."

"Why would Asch ask you to do this?" Van demanded. Arietta didn't answer, only lifted her hand so that a giant bird could lift her from her feet.

"Asch told me that he wants Luke and Ion to meet him at Choral Castle," the young God-General parroted. "If they don't, he'll kill the engineer!

Things never could be easy, could they? Loki sighed as Van ordered Luke to stay put before going off to see about Arietta. He expected Luke to jump right in and offer to save the man – little more than a stranger, but hadn't Loki been as well? He was thus surprised when it took the combined cajoling of the party for Luke to agree to visit this Choral Castle place.

He held his tongue until they reached the castle. It was when they were searching the house in search of Arietta that he asked Luke, "Would you really have abandoned him?"

Luke lifted a mildewed book with a look of disgust. "Why not? I don't have to put my neck on the line for him. It's his own stupid fault for getting captured anyway."

Loki frowned at the back of Luke's head in disapproval. "If you have that little value in anyone's life besides your own, then why did you aid me? It would have been nothing for you to turn me over to the guards and let me rot away in your dungeon."

"Nothing here," Luke said in distaste. "Man, was this place really my father's old vacation home? It's such a dump! I'm glad I don't remember being found here."

"You're avoiding my question, Master Luke." Loki marked this room off of the mental map and dutifully followed Luke to the next room.

"Come on, why's it important?" When Loki raised an eyebrow at him Luke sighed. "I took pity on you, okay? It was your amnesia. I thought you were like me. Even after you weren't, I know how hard not remembering is."

"When you looked at the engineer, did you feel not for his suffering?" Loki wondered. "Did you not perhaps have guilt that his death would be because of you?"

"He's a soldier," Luke said irritable. "He knows he's going to die anyway."

"Yet even when you learned his Score called for him to live you still hesitated," Loki pressed. It was odd the way Ion immediately stepped up to save the man he didn't know based on just that reason.

Luke scowled. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?"

"Very well. But, as your teacher, Master Luke, it is also my duty to instruct you in matters of morality. We shall address this when we get back to Baticul."

Luke scoffed dismissively. "How do you know about morality anyway?"

How, indeed? Loki wondered that as well as their small group met up again in the castle's foyer. His thoughts were captured by the thought as they wandered through an elaborate underground laboratory. In retrospect he should have focused on the laboratory, but existential crises seemed more important at the time.

His sense of right and wrong didn't come from the same place as his combat or language skills, he deduced at length. It was a combination of observation and what he'd absorbed through his reading that led him to this sense of morality. The villains in these things always sacrificed life without care, no matter if it was in a military coup or a romance that Loki really shouldn't have enjoyed reading.

If it was easy enough for him to grasp, it was a mystery as to why Luke was stubbornly avoiding the question. Loki put those thoughts aside as they chased one of Arietta's monsters through the halls. Luke charged forward idiotically and it was really no surprise when a bird snatched him up. Anise's quick thinking saved Ion from the same fate.

Loki discovered another aspect to his combat skills – his first arte. Without thinking he chased the bird's progress and summoned three little darts of energy in his fist. The bird avoided the projectiles with ease.

"Watch where you're throwing those things!" Luke yelled at him. The bird rolled its eyes and squeezed the redheaded noble until the boy fell limp in his grasp.

A few seconds later Arietta and her bird friend were gone. Luckily for their little group they didn't go far. Luke was rescued in short order from the laboratory Loki hadn't paid attention to their first time through. This time he got a very good look at the machine Luke climbed out it – large, with a circular platform the noble had been placed on. It was at least two stories high and there were consoles attached to it with a myriad labyrinth of cables.

Their second attempt to rescue the engineer succeeded. Loki met the final member of their party properly for the first time. It was a small creature, about the size of a cat, that stood on its hind legs. It wore a golden ring around its middle and its coloring was a sky blue, though its belly was a soft white. Its most notable feature was its long ears – they stood out straight from its head in a y-shape, though they were capable of movement. At the end of these ears there were long tufts of fur.

Though it claimed it was male, the pitches its voice could reach made Loki greatly question that claim. Short of looking up its proverbial skirt, however, he would have to take it at its word. Breathing fire at will made its gender a non-issue; when Luke held it up by the scruff of its neck it spit a fireball at the bird that again tried to capture him in its claws.

With the bird distracted Loki's energy darts hit home. It crumpled to the castle's roof in a heap. Only seconds later Arietta and her other monster friend – Luke called it a liger – were dispatched by Guy's quick sword skills and Anise's plush toy. The first time Loki had witnessed Tokunaga grow six feet tall so Anise could ride it, he had been certain the world could not get any stranger.

Before Jade could make good on his threat to dispatch Arietta – an act that made Loki distinctly uncomfortable, for even as an enemy she was hardly older than Ion – Van arrived. He took custody of his subordinate and bid them farewell. Luke, in his ever so infinite wisdom, thought it would be better for them to walk back to Kaitzur.

It was as they were walking back through the foyer that Loki called the group's attention to something that he was fairly certain hadn't been there before. They gathered around the sword that had inexplicably appeared in the foyer.

"Do you think Asch is pranking us?" Anise asked. She poked the hilt of the sword, the jumped back from the coil of dark energy that snaked out after her finger.

"I have never heard of Asch the Bloody using tricks like this before," Jade commented idly. "As we saw in Kaitzur, his methods are much more direct."

"So what is it?" Tear asked.

Loki eyed the sword warily. "It is an artifact of an obviously magical nature. Such things should be left alone."

Luke snorted. "Come on, we just beat up Arietta! How bad can this be?" He grasped the hilt of the sword before anyone could stop him. Dark energy swirled out of the sword and around him before pooling at his feet.

Loki drew his dagger and stepped back. In the corners of his eyes he saw the rest of the group doing the same. Mieu, the fire-breathing blue creature, scrambled back into his hiding place inside Ion's bag while the Fon Master retreated to the far corner of the room.

A form pulled itself out of the vortex of dark energy. Luke let go of the sword and scrambled back, hastily drawing his own weapon as he did. A skeletal hand closed over the hilt of the sword.

They all watched as the owner of the hand clambered into view. It was a skeleton to match the hand now pulling the weapon from the ground. This skeleton was easily nine feet tall and dressed in an odd armor made up of bronze plates that at a distance could be mistaken for a cloth weave.

Its empty eye sockets swept over them in what was obviously meant to be a piercing gaze. "Who dares wake me from my slumber?" its deep voiced boomed.

Luke looked to Loki. The tutor merely raised an eyebrow at him. "This is your fault, Master Luke. Take responsibility."

The skeleton's empty sockets settled on Luke. "So it is you who grasped the sword and brought me forth?"

Luke gulped but stepped forward. "Yes," he declared. To his credit, his voice only wavered a little bit.

"Hm." The skeleton's head drifted in Loki's direction – it was looking at him? "I presumed incorrectly then." It returned its gaze to Luke. "What have you awakened me for? Are you to attempt to free me from my torment?"

"What, you thought he woke you up?" Luke asked, jerking his thumb towards Loki. "Why's that?"

"He should very well know the reason," the skeleton grumped. "It is because of him that I am trapped in this hellish purgatory. Only battle with a strong opponent will free my soul to pass on to the afterlife."

Loki felt his eyes widen. "Forgive me, but who are you?" he demanded of the skeleton.

"Don't play games with me, master of illusions. You know full well who I am and what you have done." The skeleton's teeth ground together with an ear-piercing shriek. "You are fortunate that your enchantments prevent me from harming you until my challenge is accepted. I would flatten you otherwise."

"Maybe we shouldn't fight the angry undead guy?" Anise suggested.

"Believe it if you wish, Mister Skeleton, but I have no memory of you or any enchantments," Loki told the skeleton. "I beg of you, will you tell me who I am? Perhaps I can release you without any need for bloodshed."

"You are the weaver of lies and tricks. What reason do I have to believe you?" The skeleton turned to Luke, dismissing Loki. "You are the one who awakened me. Will you answer my challenge to combat? Should you defeat me, I will be one step closer to freedom. Your defeat means your death."

Luke looked over at Loki. "When we win, I want something from you," he said. "You'll give us some information about Loki over here."

"So you believe his lies?" the skeleton spat. "Very well. If I was not desperate for my torment to end I would not do anything for this monster. But I am, and so I will. Do you accept my challenge?"

Luke looked at the rest of the party. "You guys up for it?" he asked them.

"I'm in," Guy said. He shifted his grip on the sword and sheath in his hands. "If it'll help Loki with his memories I'm up for anything."

"It's my duty to keep you in one piece until we get back to your manor," Tear sighed. "I'll help you."

"I do hope my achy bones let me keep up with you energetic youngsters," Jade said as he pushed his glasses up on his nose.

"Let's kill this bastard!" Anise shouted. She climbed on Tokunaga's back and readied her staff.

Luke settled his eyes on Loki. "You ready?"

Loki shifted his dagger into a backhanded grip. "I am, Master Luke."

Luke looked up at the skeleton. "I accept your challenge."

The skeleton settled into a ready stance. "Then let it be known that your opponent is known as the Sword Dancer."

With those words it leapt to attack. It ignored Luke completely and aimed straight for Loki instead. Its hatred was palpable, and as Loki dodged and set the Sword Dancer on an illusion instead, he wondered just what he had done to warrant it.

Thank Yulia he wasn't fighting alone. When the Sword Dancer dispersed his illusion and swept its sword along the battlefield in search of him, Anise's spell whacked it squarely in the face. It was quickly followed up by Jade's Energy Blast arte. While it was blinded Guy leaped in with a flurry of slashes, an attack name lost to the wind. Loki readied his energy darts and, when Guy was clear, he flung them.

The battle was long and draining, but eventually they shattered its armor into pieces and drove the Sword Dancer to its knees. "I concede!" it gasped. "If we continue I will perish before my enchantment is released."

"Won't that release you?" Jade asked it.

The Sword Dancer shook its head. "If I die before my enchantment is lifted I will be set loose among the realms once more. I will land in another world with another form, but my release will require the same."

Its glare at Loki made the amnesiac uncomfortable. "For what it's worth I do apologize," he said. "If I could remember the means in which I made this enchantment I would seek to undo it right now."

"Hm," the Sword Dancer said. Its body began to glow with light. "My time is short and I will honor my half of our bargain, Loki Odinson. What is it that you wish to know?"

"That! Odinson. Is that my name?" Loki asked. What an odd one, but then again, around these parts Loki wasn't normal as well.

"Yes," the Sword Dancer intoned. "It means Son of Odin, the Allfather." He bowed his head. "You will find me twice more in this realm. If you persist in this trickery, upon my defeat both times I shall answer your questions. For now, farewell."

It vanished in a thousand bursts of light. "Odinson," Loki repeated. He had no doubt the Sword Dancer told the truth. The word nestled into the same place in his mind as his knowledge of speech. Now that he knew it he couldn't imagine how he had forgotten.

"Son of Odin," Jade mused. "It's similar to the House Fabre's naming pattern, correct?"

Guy frowned. "Similar, yes."

"Odin is a personal name," Loki said with certainty. "It is not a family name. If I should ever have a son, I would not doubt his family name would be Lokison."

"Odd naming convention, but its discussion can wait until another time," Jade dismissed. "We still have a rather long way to walk back to Kaitzur. At this rate we'll be lucky to depart before nightfall."

All through the walk back to Kaitzur and their subsequent departure Loki rolled the Sword Dancer's words around in his head. The being had let slip more information than it had intended – or perhaps its words had been on purpose. If it hated Loki that much maybe he'd let slip these words to convince his companions of his guilt.

At the very least, Loki surmised that his previous hunch was correct. He was not of Auldrant. The Sword Dancer's talk of realms allowed him to ponder the possibilities. How many realms were there? Were there as many realms as there were stars in the sky?

He had more questions than ever. Until the time he found the Sword Dancer again, however, he would have to settle for these few answers. He was Loki Odinson, son of some sort of Allfather, and he wasn't native to Auldrant.

Luke would probably want to talk with him about this as well, one amnesiac to another. It would offer him some hope. Though, Loki suspected as he walked out of his room in search of his young master, it would be a vain hope.

He rounded the deck and paused – Luke was there, in Van's arms. Van held his arms firm from behind Luke and was talking in low tones to the noble. A shimmering light between Luke's outstretched hands told Loki that he really needed to not read romance novels in the future.

As much as he wanted to rush forward and help Luke, he cloaked his presence instead and inched closer. Luke had an unhealthy relationship with Van and this was a rare glimpse into it. He didn't believe, fiction aside, that Van and Luke really had "that" sort of relationship. Luke was far too dependent on his sword teacher psychologically.

Loki had suspicions about Van. No one tolerate Luke as easily as he did, and no one was as quick to praise the spoiled brat. Once he got close enough to hear the words Van spoke, as Luke's eyes drifted closed and his hands dropped to his side, those suspicions were confirmed.

Now, he thought as he retreated to a safe distance to dispel his illusion and allow Van to believe his little scene had gone unnoticed, how would he tell Luke about it?


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry for the delay in this chapter! I was caught up in real-life issues. Also it seemed that whenever I got Loki in my head to fic, he instead wanted to go out onto the internet to snark at people. He's still here, interfering with casual conversations unexpectedly. But that's beside the point!

This chapter marks the first major impact Loki has on the plot of Tales of the Abyss. Part of the reason the chapter took so long to come out was because of this. Loki is scary observant and I had to make sure that his actions wouldn't cause Luke's major character development point to not happen. Will it? Don't know, it all depends on what happens next.

I can't promise that I'll get the next chapter out as quickly as I was hammering out the first few. I must watch the Tales of the Abyss walkthrough on Youtube and see if Loki's actions this chapter impact those events meaningfully. As much as I want to jump through to Akzeriuth, there's one last bit that is required for Luke's character development. Then we get to get to Akzeriuth and, well... spoilers!

Warnings are the usual. Loki acts like his usual self and drags to light a certain fact that was not to be revealed until a few chapters on. I still don't own anything. I'm kinda tempted to cast Ame in here somehow just so I can say I own him! (But, he's been recast elsewhere. Check my DA for details.)

Enjoy! Reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Incidentally, thanks to the few who have reviewed already!

* * *

"At least we weren't arrested on sight," Anise chirped.

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. This elevator was far more crowded than it had any business being, but the lift reserved for Baticul's nobility was inoperable for the moment. The mechanics said something about a bird clogging up the mechanism, but the cause mattered not. Their whole party was squeezed in on an elevator meant to hold half their number.

It would hold, at least. Loki had seen it carry large pieces of equipment. He was just not very comfortable with his personal space being invaded by Tear. To her credit, the woman had turned her back to him. With her hair pulled over her shoulders so Loki wasn't sneezing on the strands, it was somewhat cozy.

He dragged his thoughts from his predicament and glanced over at Guy. Even with Luke and Jade to act as guardians the manservant was shaking uncontrollably. "I had not realized his fear of women was this bad," he commented idly. In the manor he had been witness to several occasions where Guy was faced with women. Even on their journey the servant could not hope to avoid the female sex.

Those times, Loki thought, there was always an escape route available. Up a tree, or plenty of open space to flee in. In such a confined space the fear was inescapable.

"He's been like that ever since he was a kid," Luke said. He patted Guy's shoulder. "Come on, it's not much longer until we get to the top."

"Remember to breathe," Jade advised. "It'd be much easier on us if we don't have to carry you to the top."

Guy shot Jade a look. The colonel ignored the glare with ease. Instead, he turned to Loki. "What are your plans on reaching the castle?" he asked mildly.

The amnesiac wasn't fooled. Jade didn't seem the type to ask idle questions. Rather than call him out on it, Loki instead shrugged. "I thought that I would perhaps accompany Luke to visit King Ingobert."

"You're not going to go plot my next torture?" Luke asked him. At Jade's raised eyebrow he said, "Hey, Loki tied me to a chair and made me take a test. If that's not torture, what is?"

Loki heard a chuckle from Tear's direction that was masked quickly. Ion and Anise were far less reserved in their mirth. "Master Luke, if you would take your tests without trying to hide in the garden, I would have no need to restrain you."

Luke scowled. "But tests are boring!"

The elevator finally arrived. Guy shot off of it like it was aflame and up the nearest tree. "You all can go in ahead of me," the servant's voice called down. "I'm just going to take a minute."

Loki couldn't help his amused smirk. Guy's fear of women was proving to be quite entertaining. "Take as long as you need," he told Guy.

"Ugh, now I see what Luke means," Guy grumbled. "You can sound very annoying sometimes Loki."

"I aim to please." Loki turned from Guy with those words and surveyed their surroundings. Baticul's nobility lived on the uppermost levels of the city. Their manors were situated around a large courtyard with a fountain in its middle. The most prominent of these was, of course, the castle where King Ingobert lived.

He didn't miss Luke's longing look towards his own manor, but the redhead focused on the castle. "Let's go," he said. "We need to avert this war before people get hurt."

Guy rejoined them in the foyer. Guards tried to bar them from the throne room, but upon hearing that Grand Maestro Mohs was already inside Luke barged past them. It was lucky he did, for Mohs was attempting to convince King Ingobert that Malkuth was attempting a war.

Loki stood off to the side while Ion delivered his letter of peace. Their mission was completed, but not everything was settled. There was still the matter he had considered before, in Saint Binah and on the ferry here. He wondered to whose attention he should bring it first, King Ingobert's or Duke Fabre's.

Upon hearing that Van was awaiting arrest, he made his decision. When Luke invited the rest of the party to the manor, he politely declined. He waited for Luke and his group to leave the audience hall before he turned to King Ingobert.

"Your Majesty," he said, "there is a matter I would like to inform you of. It pertains to Luke." He glanced at the guards and Mohs, who had not been dismissed from the chambers. "I feel that perhaps it should be heard by you alone. I know that you have no reason to believe my words, given my… hm, nonexistent past? I must therefore please beg you to consider my request." He bowed and waited for the King's reply.

"It has to do with Luke, you say?" Ingobert asked. He rubbed his chin. "You risked your life to get him home, so I feel I should honor your request. I will have someone escort you to my office. You can bring your urgent matter to me there."

When they were alone Loki called forth an illusion. His illusions could mask sound, or create false words. Any listeners would hear only a report on Luke's adventure outside Baticul and nothing more. The king knew nothing of what he was doing – to him, it appeared Loki was pausing to collect his thoughts.

"Your majesty, I believe you are right in arresting General Grants," he said once the spells had settled into place. "I witnessed an encounter between him and Master Luke on the boat that was quite unsettling."

"Did he confess to the crime?" Ingobert asked. "It would be just like Luke not to realize it."

Loki shook his head. "I do not believe he had anything to do with his sister's infiltration of the manor. However, I have reason to believe that he is in some way connected to Master Luke's original kidnapping."

"What evidence do you have?" Ingobert demanded. "He has been a loyal friend to the Fabres for years!"

"After Master Luke's kidnapping, correct?" When Ingobert nodded, Loki continued, "I have only conjecture. Based on my own observations and the information I have gained, I believe that the Luke who was returned is not the boy who was kidnapped."

"Luke doesn't have any siblings," Ingobert objected. "Besides, I know my sister. She would recognize her own son."

"Not if he was an exact replica of her son," Loki said. Before Ingobert could speak he forged on. "This is a conclusion I reached shortly after Jade told me about replicas. He believed me to be one because of my amnesia. However, my memory loss was not the characteristic amnesia of a replica. Replicas, when born, are completey blank slates, correct? They know nothing of the basics of humanity, like eating or walking."

"Luke had to be retaught everything," Ingobert recalled. He frowned. "What caused your loss of memory is different from what caused his. How are we to know that his amnesia is more extensive because of greater trauma?"

"General Grant's encounter with Master Luke on the ferry," Loki replied. He didn't mention his first impression upon seeing the two. It was embarrassing enough that he had drawn those conclusions. "I shielded my presence from them and was unseen. Master Luke was struggling to control a light between his palms – an arte, I'm sure, but one I've never seen before. General Grants was assisting him in dispersing this light."

"Hyperresonance!" Ingobert exclaimed. "So he's finally figured it out?"

Loki raised his eyebrow. "I know not of whom you speak. While the light was dispersing and Master Luke slipped into unconsciousness, General Grants spoke to him. It sounded like a command." Hm. Hyperresonance and that light, coupled with Van's words… Loki thrust that conclusion aside. "It was to again use that power, but only when General Grants spoke a phrase to Master Luke."

"I see. What was the trigger phrase?" Ingobert asked.

" 'Foolish replica Luke,'" Loki repeated.

Ingobert's eyes went wide. "It can't be! Did you hear him wrong?"

Loki shook his head. "I was close enough to touch Master Luke if I so wished. I did not hear incorrectly. General Grants is aware that Master Luke is a replica, and how else would he know if he was not somehow involved?"

Ingobert sagged in his seat. "You mustn't tell my sister of this," he ordered. "She fell deathly ill when Luke disappeared. To know that the boy she has raised all these years isn't really her son would break her heart."

Loki blinked. He had not thought everything through, he realized. "You can rest assured that her son is alive and well," he said. "He is the God-General known as Asch the Bloody. In Kaitzur I was able to get a very good look at his face. If I did not know that Master Luke was an only child I would have believed the two to be twins."

"That is a relief, but there is no time," Ingobert muttered. "If he has been here this long than he may as well–" When he glanced over at Loki his mouth snapped shut with an audible clack. "It is of no concern to you. Thank you for this information. I will report General Grant's betrayal to the Fon Master and beg leave to try him in our courts. It is long since time for Luke to receive justice."

Loki saw in that the dismissal Ingobert intended. "If I might ask, Your Majesty," he began, "what do you intend to do with Master Luke?"

"For seven years he was raised as Duke Fabre's son. I see no reason for it to change," Ingobert said. "Keep this information to yourself. In this case, ignorance truly is bliss."

"So Master Luke is to hear nothing of this either," Loki surmised. "It is just as well. He did not see Asch's face and would not believe me if I told him." He didn't show his sigh of relief. For a moment he feared he had cost Luke everything. Knowing that the boy was to still be treated as the duke's rightful heir lifted a weight off his shoulders.

"Now return to my sister's manor. I'm sure Luke is waiting for you to return."

Loki bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty. And, on Master Luke's behalf, I thank you."

On his walk back through the castle Loki thought back on that conversation. Ingobert's surprised outburst told him a great deal. That light within Luke's hands had been a hyperresonance – something that could only happen between two seventh fonists. That he could summon one on his own was justification for so many events in his life.

The original Luke's kidnapping must have been for this power. Asch had been spirited off by Van for a purpose only the General knew. To placate Kimlasca, a replica, the Luke that Loki was instructing, had been created to replace him. His own mother was unaware that his son had been replaced and everyone was happy.

Luke's imprisonment, Loki decided as he crossed the plaza towards Fabre Manor, was to keep hyperresonance from the hands of Kimlasca's enemies. There was no one for anyone to realize that this power was already out of Kimlasca's hands. The past seven years of Luke's life had been hell for no reason.

Loki collapsed into his bed. He never used it, but it was still in his room. He had never requested for it to be removed. One day, he reasoned, he would have to sleep. Even a nap would suffice. Even without sleeping, sometimes all he needed was to stretch out on the soft mattress and let the tension melt from his muscles.

He kicked off his shoes and let his weight drag him deep into the covers. Even during the summer, the nights grew chilly at times. The cold didn't bother him, but the blankets were still fluffy and warm.

It was strange. His eyes felt heavy. He didn't fight their desire to close. Behind the lids he saw a field of stars, but they were not Auldrant's.

* * *

"Huh. I think this is the first time I've ever seen you sleeping." Luke's voice was curious from its position right by Loki's ear. "I didn't think you could."

Loki resisted the urge to bat Luke away. The noble breathing in his ear had roused him from his dreams. Not that he had dreams he could remember. All he could recall was an endless field of stars. "Do you normally let yourself into people's rooms to watch them sleep?" he asked.

"I thought you were in trouble when you didn't answer me. Since when do you sleep, anyway?"

Loki opened his eyes. Luke wasn't leaning over him and his view of the ceiling was unhindered. "After returning from the castle I had only intended to relax. I am as surprised as you to have fallen asleep." He glanced out of the window. It was still daytime – or perhaps the night had come and gone.

"Man, now I feel bad for bothering you. That was only a few hours ago. Mother and Father wanted to speak to you when you returned." Luke sat back and rubbed the back of his head. "I can go tell them you were sleeping if you want. You probably need it after not sleeping the whole month."

Loki contemplated taking Luke up on his offer. However, there was no longer any heaviness in his eyes. He wondered if perhaps he had imagined it. "I am fine. I do not know why I slept but it appears I no longer need to."

"You sure? Would you even know it if you felt sleepy?"

Loki smirked. "I believe, Master Luke, that after watching you these past days I know what the symptoms of exhaustion are."

"Hey," Luke pouted, but there was a small smile at the corners of his lips. "I'll go tell Mother that you're coming. She's in her room recovering."

"I will be there shortly," Loki promised. Luke waved on his way out.

As Loki made use of his washing pitcher he found himself marveling at the technology that could create a living human. There was no reason to suspect that Luke was anything more than a naturally-born human. Only his amnesia and Asch were evidence to the contrary. Though, Loki corrected as he finished and made himself presentable, Luke didn't have amnesia. He had no memories to be lost from before his creation. It was a shocking fact to get his mind around – Luke wasn't the seventeen years old he looked to be. He was a seven-year-old child.

His attitude was explained quite nicely, Loki thought wryly. He acted like a bratty child because he was. It didn't mean Loki could slack off in Luke's studies – the boy's mind was fully developed physically. It was his mental maturity that needed assistance.

That would be easy enough to solve. Loki put those thoughts out of his mind and examined his reflection. He was presentable, he decided. He left his bedroom behind and went in search of the Lady Fabre.

She was in her room, as Luke said she would be. "Thank you for coming, Loki," she said warmly. "I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for Luke. He told me how you and Guy kept him safe on his return journey."

"Luke was able to fend for himself well enough," Loki said. "I am just grateful to be able to bring him home. It was not Malkuth that spirited him off."

"Yes, I met Colonel Curtiss earlier." The Lady smiled. "He was quite well spoken. He reminded me a bit of you, actually."

Loki had suspected he and the colonel shared common traits. "He has been in invaluable ally as well. Even with the majority of his fonic artes sealed he is formidable in battle."

"If he ever becomes our enemy then I have no doubt you will know how to fight him," the Lady said. She paused. "Please do not tell Luke of this, but tomorrow he is going to be sent on a mission."

Loki hid his surprise. So it seemed that after all this time Luke's imprisonment was ended. He was glad for his charge. At the same time, it was puzzling. "Where is he going?"

"Since he proved himself so well with this task it has been decided that he will become Auldrant's goodwill ambassador," Lady Fabre explained. "Tomorrow he is being sent out on his first mission. I am telling you this, Loki, because I wish for you to accompany him."

"Not to continue his studies, I assume," Loki surmised. Something in her explanation rang false. There was a suspicious sparkle in her eye that he could almost pass off as a trick of the light.

"No. You've proven to be a valuable companion to Luke. You can protect him just as well as Guy." The Lady looked away for a moment. "He is still young. I believe that you and Guy are both capable of assisting him when he needs it. He's too proud to say when he needs help."

"I will of course journey together with him," Loki said without hesitation. "I will spend tonight having the tutor draw up lesson plans that I can implement on the road." He paused. "I will tell him it is because there is nothing to say Master Luke won't be spirited off again. I won't betray your confidence."

The Lady smiled. "Of course, Loki. You always think of these things."

Loki bowed. "Is there anything else you wished of me, Lady Fabre?"

She shook her head. "Take good care of my son," she said softly.

It never even occurred to Loki to tell her the truth of Luke's status. As he went in search of the tutor he ran the conversation through his head again. The Lady Fabre was hiding something, he decided. What, he didn't know. It was something that was upsetting to her, that much was obvious. It pertained to Luke as well.

That night while everyone slept, he would endeavor to discover the truth. Luke's life had been placed in his hands. He would do everything he could to protect it – even from his family.


	8. Chapter 8

So this chapter, once I was able to start on it, came out pretty quickly. Having a night off of work helped too! The repercussions of last chapter's reveal make themselves known in this chapter. There will be even more affects on the plot as it continues forward, but it all lands in one place: Akzeriuth. Abyss fans know what this means. For Loki fans, you will get to see.

So much for not writing a play-by-play rewrite of Abyss, huh? I've managed to only skip two bits, that river before Kaitzur and Chesedonia. The events that happened in Chesedonia, though, still did happen. They will be addressed in the next few chapters before we get to Akzeriuth to establish them in the story.

The warnings are as usual. I don't own Loki or Tales of the Abyss. I borrowed the Score from the game because it's kind of important, so I still don't own that. Also, since reading a few last chapters and seeing some mistakes, I went through and reread this to fix a few mistakes. There were only a few! With that, enjoy.

* * *

True to Lady Fabre's word, Luke was called to the castle the next morning. Loki followed, though when Luke asked him why he claimed to be in search of books in the royal library. It wasn't believed, Loki knew, but he wasn't bothered when he followed Luke into the throne room. When they arrived, Loki was surprised to see that Tear, Anise, Ion, and Jade were also present.

Their presence was explained in short order by King Ingobert. A proposal of peace was contained in the letter Ion bore. In the letter, also, was a request from Malkuth's emperor. Loki presumed it to be a test of Kimlasca's good faith. Even so, it appeared their next stop would be the mining town of Akzeriuth, with Luke at their head. The citizens of that city were in danger from a poisonous fog, miasma, that crept from beneath the ground. It wasn't immediately poisonous, but prolonged exposure was fatal.

That was, Loki grumped to himself, if Luke would cooperate.

"Why do I need to go?" Luke said. "I just got back. I'm glad you're letting me out of the manor, don't get me wrong, but why me?"

"I would presume it's because you are a member of the royal family," Loki stated. He wanted to glare at Luke. There was a stubborn set to his charge's jaw that precluded any attempts at intimidation. At the same time, he wondered if it was wise to allow Luke to leave. His attempts the night before to sneak into the castle had yielded nothing of note.

Yet Lady Fabre believed that Luke was in need of protecting. This mission to Akzeriuth was clouded in too much mystery for Loki to be comfortable. He contemplated allowing Luke to be talked out of the trip.

"If that's the case, Natalia can go." Luke turned away with a huff. "Can't I relax in my own bed for a few days at least?"

"I would love to go, but Father won't let me." The woman in the throne next to Ingobert was one Loki had only seen from afar. Princess Natalia was a strong-willed woman, according to Luke. Her short blonde hair framed her face and pale green eyes. She was clothed in a blue dress that complemented her well.

"Then send Father or someone else!" Luke burst out stubbornly.

The king rubbed his forehead. "Luke, there is a reason we chose you for this task." He waved an attendant forward. "Tear, please read the Score engraved into this stone."

Tear looked surprised at being called out but swiftly nodded. The attendant brought the stone to her and she held a hand to it. Just as in Loki's reading, this stone glowed when Tear activated it.

"ND 2000. In Kimlasca shall be born the scion of Lorelei's power. He will be of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called the 'Light of the Sacred Flame ' and he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new prosperity.

"ND 2018. The young scion of Lorelei's power shall bring his people to the miner's city. There…" Tear frowned at the stone. "The rest of the Score is missing.

"That's enough."

Loki was surprised by this. At all other times a complete Score was required to be acted on. If one went only by part of the Score, there was the chance that it would be inadvertently ignored. That Ingobert should willingly ignore the rest of the Score was surprising. Ion's frown told him the same thing. The Fon Master kept his silence, however.

"You see, Luke, your name in Ancient Ispanian means 'Light of the Sacred Flame.' Your journey to Akzeriuth has been foretold. You cannot refuse to go." King Ingobert didn't seem very pleased by this. What could he do, though? To go against the Score was unthinkable.

Apparently not to Luke, who still looked rebellious. "If I do go," he said after a while, "who's coming with me?"

"I shall accompany you," Loki said immediately. "While you are journeying you cannot neglect your studies." He glanced aside at Ingobert. "That is, if it's okay with you, Your Majesty."

"You've proven capable of taking care of Luke. I do not see a problem with it." The king looked over at Jade. "What shall you do?"

"Since this is an attempt to rescue Malkuth citizens it is my duty to aid you," Jade answered.

Ingobert nodded. "What of you, Fon Master? Will you return to Daath?"

Ion frowned at the king. "I had hoped we could discuss Dorian-General Grants's imprisonment. He was not involved in Luke's disappearance."

"Evidence has arisen showing that he has plotted against Kimlasca," Ingobert said sternly. "This is a grave matter, Fon Master, one that must be investigated. I cannot allow him to be released to plot against this country. Until I am assured of his guilt or innocence, he will remain imprisoned."

"I will hear your evidence when we have a moment to ourselves, then," Ion said. "Should your words prove satisfactory, I will accompany Luke on his journey as a sign of Daath's blessing."

"You have to get Master Van out of jail!" Luke begged the Fon Master. "Please, I know he didn't do anything wrong!"

"I will try, Luke, but it depends on what His Majesty has discovered. If the evidence is significant there is little I can do." Ion patted Luke's arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure if I just talk to His Majesty we'll sort this out."

"And if Ion goes, of course I'm going too!" Anise said cheerfully.

"I'm going along too of course," Guy put in. He winked at Luke. "I wouldn't be a very good servant if I wasn't around, right?"

Luke sighed. "I guess if they're coming with I'll go too. They're pretty good. I just wish I could bring Master Van too. I want to show him how much stronger I've gotten!"

Ingobert glanced at Loki with a silent question. As Loki had not developed mind reading abilities he did not know what the monarch sought. He raised an eyebrow in return.

"I don't see why you can't speak to him before you leave," Ingobert said after a moment. "I cannot, however, allow you to speak with him alone."

Ah. So that's what the question had been. "It seems to me that it would be preferable," Loki put in. "With all due respect, Your Highness."

Another aside glance. "Very well," Ingobert said. "The Dorian-General is in the castle dungeons. A ferry will be waiting for you all at the docks. It will take you to Kaitzur, and from there you can travel to Akzeriuth."

"We lost a lot of time with the God-Generals," Jade mentioned. "We must leave as soon as we can. The longer we take, the more lives are lost."

Shortly after that the meeting with the king dismissed. Their group split up to take care of their various tasks before departing. Tear stayed behind to discuss something with Mohs. Loki told Luke that he would return to the manor to gather his travel bag. In reality, his bag was already with him, a heavy weight on his shoulder hidden with his illusions. He had intended to spy on King Ingobert – the way Luke had been forced into this new journey was very suspicious.

However, Van was still a threat to Luke's safety. If the Dorian General left orders with his subordinates the God-Generals, Loki had to know. With that in mind he cast his illusions.

His illusion silenced his footsteps as he descended the stairs to the dungeon. Luke was only a few paces in front of him. The noble made a beeline for Van's cell while Loki settled against the wall nearby.

"Master Van!" Luke cried. He clutched the bars holding his sword teacher. "Please tell me you didn't do anything! I asked them to release you but they said they had evidence."

"Of course I did nothing," Van said warmly. He held his hand through the bars for Luke to take. "I couldn't imagine anyone would think I would do anything to hurt you, Luke. Thanking you for speaking up for me."

Luke clutched Van's hand. "I wish you could come with me, Master Van. Uncle is sending me to a place called Akzeriuth as Kimlasca's Goodwill Ambassador. I just don't know what to do. If I screw up, I might get locked up in the manor again."

Van's eyes flickered around the dungeon. Despite his surety in his illusions Loki stepped out of the man's line of sight. The way he didn't even react to the news of Luke's departure said wonders.

Loki suspected he knew the missing piece to Luke's Score. As a Dorian General he had access to it in Daath. Could the Score be read from any piece that held it? There was still so much he didn't know.

"You must do your best, Luke," Van assured the boy. "If you save Akzeriuth you'll be a hero to Kimlasca. Heroes get to do as they wish. You'll be able to come and go as you please."

Loki studied Luke's face. The noble's expression showed absolute faith in Van. It would take a miracle for that faith to be shaken – such as, perhaps, learning the truth of his existence. Knowing that Luke was created as a replacement for Asch would wound the boy terribly, but knowing that Van was the one who did this...

Loki shook his head. It would be far too cruel. Van speaking again drew his attention back to the conversation, and the next words only cemented his opinion of the man.

"I only wish I knew why I was imprisoned," Van lamented. "I expected the Fon Master to arrange for my release by now."

Luke scowled. "I asked Uncle but all he said was that there was evidence showing you were plotting something. He wouldn't tell me what it was even. He's talking to Fon Master Ion right now so I hope things can get straightened out."

"Evidence? Hm." Van looked thoughtful for a moment. Loki could imagine him running the last few days in his mind in search of his mistake. "Well, any evidence that His Majesty has is going to be false. I don't think I'll be in here long. I'll certainly be able to meet you in Akzeriuth."

"Really, Master Van?" Luke asked hopefully.

Van nodded. "Until then, you must be wise. Grand Maestro Mohs won't let this mission go well if it'll bring peace. He's determined for there to be a war. Speaking as your mentor, Luke, I would split up your party into two. A decoy should sail from the harbor here to Chesedonia, while you and the rest of your group travel by land."

"A decoy?" Luke asked. "But, if Mohs is watching the harbor then he'll know that I'm not aboard."

"Do you have anyone that would give your decoy credibility? Someone that would lead Grand Maestro into believing that you were aboard?" Van pressed.

Luke tapped his chin as he thought. "Well… Loki could create an illusion of us, I guess. I don't know how far away he would have to be to maintain it, but he could make it look like we were all boarding the ship."

Illusions of every member of the party would be difficult, Loki mused. Each illusion would have to act the part, and considering he experienced everything his illusions did, it would take a lot of concentration. He had only ever used three illusions at a time. This farce would take at least eight – one for each member of their party, plus another to cloak their real presence.

"Loki, you say?" Van stroked his beard. "It is my understanding that he only just arrived in Fabre Manor. I did not meet him before Kaitzur. Do you know where he came from?"

"No, but he doesn't know either. He has amnesia like me, though he's lucky! He doesn't have to relearn everything." Luke rubbed the back of my head. "He's actually teaching me. He's coming with me to Akzeriuth so I don't fall behind in my studies."

"Does he truly have amnesia?" Van pressed. "How common is amnesia, do you think? What are the odds that someone with your same condition just shows up out of nowhere?"

Clever man. Loki had to applaud Van for this. It wasn't a subtle attempt to plant doubt by any means, but Luke wasn't served well by subtlety. By casting shadow on Loki, it was taking the shroud of blame from the general.

"He wouldn't lie about that!" Luke said, aghast. "Would he?"

"I wonder. But who is the more likely guilty party? Me, the one who has cared for you when your father would not? Or someone who has only just arrived in your life with nothing to prove his intentions?"

Luke stepped away from Van. "Loki cares about me," he insisted, though the doubt was plain on his face. "He told me not to give up on myself. He told me that if I prove myself everyone will stop underestimating me. Even when I run away from his lessons he always makes me learn." He paused. "The Sword Dancer did say he was a liar, though."

Ugh. Loki facepalmed. Was knowing his family name worth the doubt now cast on him?

"Follow your instincts, Luke," Van said. Noble words, now that Luke was doubting Loki. His instincts were likely telling him to put Loki far out of his reach. The further away he was, the less likely it was Loki could hurt him. "I know you'll do what is right."

Luke nodded. "Thank you, Master Van. I hope I can see you in Akzeriuth."

"You will," Van promised.

Loki made a note to tell the guards to watch Van closely. The prisoner sounded far too sure of that for his comfort. Perhaps he already had an escape plan worked out with the God-Generals.

Perhaps Asch would make an appearance. Confronted with an impossible mirror image, Luke would have no choice but to believe his words. There was no doubt that Jade could confirm them. If, Loki thought wryly, the colonel would cooperate.

He watched Luke and Van say their farewells and part. When Luke's footfalls were no longer audible, Loki dispelled his illusion. He set his travel bag down and applauded as he walked into Van's sight.

"That was a magnificent performance, I must say," he said. "Bravo. You have Luke so tightly wrapped around your finger, I doubt he would hesitate to leap from these walls at your word. It is magnificent work."

"So you heard every word," Van mused. He settled back against the wall of his cell. "I said nothing that was untrue."

"The implications were very clear. You and I both know, however, who the real villain is here." Loki stood tall as he measured Van with his gaze. "How willing will he be to trust you when he learns of what you made him to be?"

Van's expression showed genuine shock before closing off into a smirk. "So it seems someone has finally figured it out. It has only taken, what, seven years?"

"It took your confession on the ferry to confirm it," Loki admitted. "I don't expect you to tell me of your plans for Luke's hyperresonance."

"I plan to fulfill the Score, of course," Van said blandly. "You do know what it is, don't you?"

"He is to go to Akzeriuth where, I expect, he will meet a ghastly fate. His mother seemed quite certain he would need protecting." Loki tapped his chin. "I will make certain to protect him from you."

Van glanced at the empty space between Loki and the door – wondering, perhaps, if there were others hiding behind Loki's power? Then he shrugged. "It doesn't matter if you know. He won't believe you if you try to warn him. In Akzeriuth Luke fon Fabre is fated to die."

The original Luke, Loki heard in those words. Asch was meant to die in Akzeriuth. To save him from that fate, Van had created the Luke Loki now protected. A disposable pawn meant to satisfy a prophecy while Asch lived on under Van's wing. The power of hyperresonance would belong to Van, though what it was needed for was unknown.

Loki nodded. "Do not doubt my talent with words. I shall find some way to save him."

"Nothing can escape the Score. The only thing the Score can't foretell is a replica." Van smirked at Loki. "Have you had your Score read lately?"

It was an admirable effort to shake Loki's confidence. It was such a pity that Luke had not relayed all of the Sword Dancer's words. "My Score is personal, Van. Shame on you for even attempting to learn it. What conduct, unbecoming of a Dorian General."

Van shrugged. "It doesn't matter if you tell me. Luke's going to die whether you like it or not."

"We shall see, Van." Loki turned to leave, then paused. "I do hope you enjoy your stay. I shall leave you to wonder just whose words put you in here. Who were those words spoken to, I wonder?"

He left with a smirk on his face. He didn't need to see Van to know that the other had a look of horror on his face as he processed that statement. Credibility was the one thing Van believed Loki to lack. Proving that he had it was sure to cast doubt on his words. Allowing Van to wonder whether he had just derailed his own plans with his own smug boasting was worth this little venture.

Now, it was time to find Luke and the party. They had a city to save.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the delay in this chapter! Life happened. Also, I lost Loki and had to go demand that he get back in my head. He didn't take that well. Still, since FFXIV went down for maintenance he decided to pester me for the last bit of this. This marks the most drastic change in the plot yet, and events are still unfolding. We'll still hit Akzeriuth, but what will happen then? We'll have to wait see.

I still don't own Tales of the Abyss or Loki.

I don't know what else to say so, enjoy!

* * *

The group met up in the courtyard outside of the castle. When Loki arrived everyone else had gathered save for Ion and Anise. Luke was frowning at the ground worryingly but said nothing to anyone.

"Has everyone taken care of what they need to?" Guy asked.

Loki nodded. He would say nothing of his encounter with Van until the time was right. Until the seeds of doubt Van planted within Luke bore no fruit, there was nothing Luke would believe if it came first from Loki. "I am ready to depart," was all he said.

Tear looked to the castle. "I wonder if Ion is still talking with His Majesty."

"It shouldn't take this long. We need to depart soon," Jade said. "People are still dying in Akzeriuth."

As if on cue Anise ran out of the castle. "Have you guys seen Ion?" she asked worriedly. "Apparently his meeting with King Ingobert ended ages ago but I can't find him. A maid said she saw him heading towards the castle entrance."

Luke snapped out of his reverie. "I haven't seen him. I went home to say goodbye to Mother."

"Nor have I. Are you certain that he left the castle?" Loki asked.

"That's what everyone says. He knows better than to go off on his own!" Anise fretted. "If he left the castle and he didn't go to Luke's house, maybe he went into the city instead."

"He knows we're leaving by boat. Maybe he went to the harbor," Luke suggested.

Anise pouted. "I'm so going to yell at him if he did that! He knows he shouldn't go anywhere without me. What if he got kidnapped again?"

"Let us go to the harbor, then," Jade suggested.

Luke frowned but nodded. "Yeah, let's see if Ion's there."

As it turned out, he wasn't. Asking around town revealed the truth, however – evidently Ion had been seen leaving town with a group of circus folks. These same circus folks were the ones that tried to pickpocket Luke when they passed through Chesedonia on their way to Baticul.

They were no ordinary circus performers, Loki recalled. They were the infamous trio of bandits called the Dark Wings. What bandits would want with the Fon Master was a mystery.

"We have to go after them!" Anise begged.

"We're supposed to depart to Kaitzur by boat. If we go after the Fon Master, we'll have to take the long way there. We would have to travel by foot across the desert to Chesedonia, and from there to Akzeriuth." Jade pushed up his glasses.

"Master Van mentioned it as well," Luke said. "We should go by land but send someone on the boat to act as a decoy. If someone's trying to stop the peace treaty they're going to attack the boat, right?"

Jade seemed surprised. "That is precisely what I was going to suggest. Now that I know Van said the same thing, perhaps we should travel by boat instead."

"Master Van didn't do anything! We're going to listen to his suggestion," Luke huffed. "I'm the leader of this group, right? So we're going to go to Chesedonia by land." He shot an aside glance at Anise. "That means we can look for Ion while we're going to Chesedonia."

"That begs the question of who will take the boat," Tear said. "We've all been announced as the envoy to Akzeriuth. No matter who boards the ship, it will lend the decoy credibility."

"I can create illusions of all of you," Loki put in. "I can make it appear as if we've all boarded the ferry."

"The people on the ferry will know something's up once those illusions vanish," Guy pointed out.

"By that time the ferry will have departed," Loki said. "Any watchers will be none the wiser."

"Not unless you're on board to maintain the illusions," Luke said. Loki put on the appropriate surprised look. There was no need for his young master to know that he'd been spying. "You board the ship with the illusions of us. We'll hide our identities and make our way out of the city."

"It is heartening to hear that you remember past lessons," was Loki's response.

Luke smirked. "Cover my head and who will recognize me, right?" His smile faded. "We'll meet back up in Chesedonia."

"About how long will this land crossing take?" Loki wanted to know. As he asked he was running plots through his head. "If you are late it will be best to know when late is, after all."

The ship would reach Chesedonia several days ahead of Luke's group. Loki nodded in understanding. The information would be useful for his next planned course of action. Until then, he had better start perfecting his illusions, hadn't he? It wouldn't do for them to be dispelled prematurely.

It was a challenge, he decided. How long could he keep them active? How far from him could they wander? The decoy would serve them little if the illusions dispersed mere feet from him. If they faded within hours of the boat's departure a letter could be sent to the God-Generals. The decoy plan relied on Loki's talent with illusions.

Mission accepted, he thought wryly. He listened to the rest of the plans with only half an ear. The rest of his attention was focused on his own plans. Luke wouldn't be happy with him once those plans were discovered.

* * *

Loki found his attention wandering as he waited by the exit to Baticul's abandoned factory. The party had been forced to make use of the factory as an alternate escape route. Sync the God-General had been waiting for them right outside Baticul's gates. Without Loki's illusions to rely on, they'd been forced to seek another route out of the city.

Unbeknownst to them, Loki faked his boarding. It was a personal challenge for him, now, to see how long he could keep his illusions going. So far he was at several hours and all of them were still going strong. His most difficult task was keeping everyone in character so no watchers grew suspicious. Maintaining solidity was proving to be tricky. Soon, however, the sun would set and he could send his illusions to bed. In the privacy of the cabins he could focus on keeping them visible.

He shook his head. He had to focus on the now, even if trying to reconcile eight different sets of input was seriously distracting. Here and now, he had been far less restricted in his path. That was why he'd masked his presence and walked out of Baticul right under Sync's nose.

Maybe it would have been better to follow the party. Doing so, however, risked revealing his presence earlier than he needed to. Luke didn't trust him thanks to Van's meddling. It didn't matter if the boy discovered his ruse. It was the timing that counted.

A loud rumbling attracted his attention. He snapped out of his thoughts to see the Tartarus, Malkuth's massive and commandeered landship, pull up right outside the exit to the factory. He watched as the God-Generals disembarked to meet Sync and the Dark Wings, the latter of whom had Ion in tow.

He weighed his options. If he was careful he could sneak down there and shroud Ion in an illusion. The Fon Master would be safe at his side while the God-Generals looked in vain for him. Though, he thought, it was likely Van had informed them of his illusions. They would be fools if they didn't look for him nearby.

He couldn't face the God-Generals and maintain his illusions on board the ship. He was tougher than the normal person but even he had his limits. At the very least, it didn't seem that the God-Generals wished for Ion to be hurt.

So he would leave Ion be. He turned his attention to the God-Generals themselves, or, more specifically, Asch. It really was uncanny how much he looked like Luke – or was it the opposite? Asch was the first Luke, so his replica would be the one to look like him.

Loki shook his head. His thoughts were disjointed. The strain of maintaining his illusions was catching up with him. To his credit, though, his illusions had yet to break character.

He studied Asch. A closer look revealed the differences between Asch and Luke. Asch's hair held a more vibrant red, less like the orange flames of Luke's hair. His skin was just a shade darker, though whether it was from the exposure to the sun or other reasons, Loki couldn't guess. It was his face that struck Loki the most, though.

Luke, even through his captivity, had managed to keep a smile handy. Asch's face was far too serious. It was a face that had given up on happiness, Loki thought. If he did smile, it wasn't often and it wasn't for long.

Just what had Van put him through? Loki's duty was to Luke, he reminded himself. Even so, Lady Fabre had asked him to look after her son. Asch was her son as well. He felt obligated to do something to help him.

He scowled. The sap dripping from his mental lips was making something in his heart feel heavy. It was the same place that cherished the name Odinson as his. This memory loss was becoming tiresome. If his memories were just around the corner, as this weight seemed to suggest, he would mind little if they would return in full.

He heard a noise behind him and snapped out of his reverie. It appeared that Luke's party was choosing this very moment to emerge from the abandoned factory. He needed to act quickly, and with this timing, there was no longer a need to maintain his illusions on the ship. He didn't care that they dispersed in full view of the passengers. Now that he commanded his full attention, he masked the sound his footfalls made as he sped towards Asch.

In the time it took him to set the pieces of his hastily-crafted plan in place, several things happened. Luke and Asch clashed in the space between their two respective groups. This allowed Luke to get his first good look at his original, and the shock and confusion on his face spoke volumes. When Asch leaped away, Loki was close enough to sidle, still hidden, behind the God-General. He wrapped a very tactile arm around Asch's neck, drawn dagger pressed against the boy's throat.

"Don't move," he purred. "No, you're not imagining things. No one can see me, but I'm sure you can feel the drop of blood I just drew trickling down your neck."

Asch went very still.

"Good boy. I have a distraction in mind that should convince your compatriots that it would not be advisable to remain nearby. If you value your life, you will do exactly as I say."

Loki couldn't see Asch's expression but he could imagine the scowl. Luke scrambled to his feet with his sword still drawn. "Who the hell are you?" the replica demanded.

"It's none of your business!" Asch shot back.

"Very good. Things will be coming to light, but here is not the place. When my distraction appears," Loki said, "you will dodge forward towards Luke. Allow yourself to be captured. If you do not, rest assured that you will be feeling the sting of my energy knives."

"I don't care about a little pain," Asch muttered under his breath.

"You might care about walking," Loki returned. The distraction was almost ready. "And… now."

The Sword Dancer roared challenge and charged into the space between Luke's party, Asch, Loki, and the group by the Tartarus. Shouts of surprise sounded from both groups as the giant skeleton started swinging his swords around and generally causing havoc. Loki removed his arm from around Asch and shoved the boy towards his replica. Asch managed to make it look like a deliberate, if miscalculated, dive. The two rolled for a bit before Asch allowed Luke to pin him, as per Loki's instructions.

The time for his own deception was past. Loki dispelled the illusion that masked his presence. "I believe that it is time for us to get out of here," he said to the stunned group.

* * *

"So," Luke started. He glared at Loki, who managed a mildly contrite look. "You managed to fool everyone, including us, into believing that you boarded the ship to Chesedonia."

"It was a necessary deception," Loki said. "You lost your trust in me thanks to Van's words and would not have allowed me to accompany you otherwise."

His words didn't seem to convince anyone. They were camped just outside the desert that led to Chesedonia. Asch was still in their custody and was parked inside their circle with his hands bound behind his back.

"How do you know what Master Van said?" Luke asked. "Did you follow me to talk to him?"

At Loki's nod, Jade pushed his glasses up. "That was why you suggested that Luke and Van speak alone. You expected that Van might share some of his plans with Luke."

"Something like that. Van tends to talk with half-truths. I read into his subtext what his true intentions are," Loki replied.

He expected the suspicious look Luke was now giving him. It didn't mean he enjoyed it. The trust Luke held for him was now truly betrayed by his actions. Perhaps, once the truth was known, he would be forgiven.

"Van doesn't lie at all!" Luke said hotly. "You're the one that lies. You lied about the decoy and you're lying about Van. What else aren't you telling the truth about?"

Loki tried to ignore the heavy weight in his heart. He couldn't prevent the quietness of his reply. "Nothing, Master Luke. The only time I deceived you was in boarding the ferry." It wasn't until after he spoke that he remembered his lie about his Score. In that case, however, the lie was to Duke Fabre, not Luke himself.

A snort from Asch's direction caught their attention and they turned to the redhead. "Sounds like I got caught by a bunch of brats who can't even argue right. Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut up!" Luke shouted. "I'm not going to let some idiot who stole my face talk down to me like that!"

Asch went very still. "Don't you dare say that," he whispered. "Don't you dare! If Van hadn't forbidden me from telling you I'd wipe that indignant look right off your face!"

"Don't bring Van into this," Luke said. "He's not a bad guy! You make it sound like you're working for him!"

"Technically, Master Luke, Asch does," Loki pointed out. "Van is the superior of the God-Generals."

"Shut up," Luke retorted. "The God-Generals are acting on their own, right? Tell me!"

"We're not," Asch smirked. "Van has been pulling the strings all along. He's the one who sent us after the Fon Master when he wouldn't play nice. He's the one who told us to board the Tartarus and kill everyone on board." His smirk grew. "He's the one to arrange for Luke fon Fabre to be kidnapped, as well. He's been plotting for years, you dreck. Don't claim to know anything about him just because he treats you well. He loathes you, he's just good at hiding it."

Loki didn't miss the flash of bitterness in those deep green eyes. How would it be, he thought, to grow up knowing that the man who looked after you stole you away from your family? Bitter, evidently. As Loki looked closer he saw no scars on Asch's face. It meant little when the rest of him was covered but perhaps he hadn't been mistreated. Still, if Asch grew up knowing he'd been replaced, knowing that Van needed him for his plans…

It was a miracle that Asch, given the opportunity, hadn't bolted. That he held such a high position of trust was a puzzle to Loki. Asch disliked Van, but perhaps it was his hate of his replica that drove him to stay nearby. Or, perhaps, staying near Van allowed him to get updates on his family. There was only so much Loki could speculate on. It would take Asch himself to reveal his motives.

He turned his attention back to Luke when his charge punched Asch and stormed off. It looked like Loki missed whatever it was that prompted the violence. He didn't miss Asch's dark glare in his direction.

"So," Tear said after a moment. "You said you couldn't say anything to Luke thanks to Van's orders. Do those orders extend to us as well?"

Asch huffed. "Technically, no, but if I tell you then you'll tell him. Van won't be any happier about that. He doesn't want his little secret out before he's ready."

"If we said we wouldn't tell him, we'd be lying," Jade admitted. "Well then. Loki, we shall leave the prisoner's welfare in your capable hands. We have an early start tomorrow."

"I'm standing watch with him," Luke declared. He stormed back and sat next to his bedroll. "We can't trust Loki to watch our backs anymore. What if he decides to let Asch go?"

Loki bit his tongue in a very literal fashion. Had he not done so, he might have answered Luke's blatant accusation with words that were less than kind. Instead, he saw the opportunity he'd been seeking since taking Asch into custody.

As the camp settled down, silence descended. Loki made a show of picking through his pack in search of reading material while Luke glared at Loki, then Asch, then off into the distance. Loki lifted out a book of fonic artes and settled it in his lap. He did not open it, however.

"So, Asch," he began. The boy looked at him with a scowl. "Tell me, is this secret of yours the reason you got so riled when Luke accused you of stealing is face?"

The blood in Asch's cheeks told him his answer even before Asch's swears. "What the hell would you know?" the God-General spat.

"Not enough, I'm afraid," Loki sighed. "I can't imagine my reaction to finding out that, wherever my family is, they believe me to be with them. If I was replaced with a copy of myself, I don't doubt I would be angry as well."

"Shut up!" Asch shouted. Even with his hands tied he surged to his feet. A boot lashed out at Loki, but the blow only ruffled his hair before Asch was crashing to the ground again.

"I don't know that much," Loki said, "but I can take a guess." He was well aware of Luke staring at him. The rest of the party was almost too quite. It was a certainty that they were listening closely as well. He tapped his fingers on the thick leather of the tome and began his tale.

"You are related to the royal family of Kimlasca," he said. "It is no secret. The exact red shade of your hair and the vibrancy of your green eyes mean you can't be anything but nobility. I would hazard that you grew up in Baticul, probably amongst the other nobles. I wouldn't doubt that you called many in the royal court your friends."

"That's impossible!" Luke said hotly. Loki glared at him.

"Young Master, you should know better than to interrupt me at a moment like this." Loki would not deny that he was using the tone of voice normally reserved for his lessons. Luke's wince was purely reflexive, but the boy nodded. "It happened seven years ago," he said, turning his attention back to Asch.

"What did?" the boy asked. Even with the question it was obvious that he knew what Loki meant.

"Seven years ago you were kidnapped from your family by Van," Loki continued. "You were taken to a location close to your family, one that no one would ever guess. It was an abandoned location, after all, but still with clear ties to your mother and father. There was every chance your family would decide to reclaim Choral Castle as theirs, but Van knew that they wouldn't."

"That's my family's property!" Luke cried. "You're talking about me, not Asch!"

Loki glared at Luke. "Master Luke, I have yet to finish my tale. Be silent."

The replica grumbled but nodded.

"During your captivity," Loki continued, returning his attention to Asch, "you were subject to cruel experiments. That laboratory in the castle's basement was used on you extensively until Van got what he wished." He frowned. "My guesses are not as precise from this moment on. Given your hatred, however, please allow me the indulgence of speculation."

"It's not like I can stop you," Asch huffed. During Loki's tale he had managed to regain a sitting position. Now he was pretending that his hands weren't tied behind him as he lounged. "So, tell me, why is it I hate Luke so much?"

"You escaped from Van, or were released. Your first thought was return home, but when you arrived you found something. It would drive you from your home forever and back into Van's grip." Loki paused for effect and cast his eyes over the whole of the camp. Every eye was on him as he continued. "You found your parents there with another child, one who looked just like you."

"But that's impossible," Asch mocked. "My parents only had one son."

"One biological son," Loki agreed. "It was this that allowed them to be so easily fooled. There was only one Luke fon Fabre, so the one that was recovered from Choral Castle must have been him. It never crossed their minds that their son's amnesia was anything but trauma. It was because of this they never realized that the son they treasured so dearly was a replica."

The camp exploded into sound after that last word was out of his mouth. Asch's stony face was answer enough, but the boy himself couldn't speak until it settled down. Luke was silent as he processed these words and how they applied to him.

"What the hell?" he shouted. "I'm not a replica! If anyone's a replica then it's that guy!" He pointed at Asch wildly. "I'm me! I'm Luke fon Fabre, son of Duke Fabre!"

Loki eyed Natalia and Guy. The former's presence had been a surprise, but evidently she'd joined Luke on his journey against her father's wishes. Now that she was here, however, she could be useful. "As Luke's oldest friends, I'm quite sure there is a way for them to verify his identity. Perhaps there is something only the original Luke would remember."

"Don't call me that!" Asch shouted, right as Luke cried, "But I'm the original!" They glared at each other.

Natalia chewed her lip. There was no point in pretending to sleep any longer. "There is the promise," she said reluctantly. "Luke made me a promise when we were children, and I thought it would be the most romantic thing ever if it was the first thing he remembered."

"I'll remember it soon!" Luke said desperately. "I promise!"

Natalia looked at Luke mournfully. "I know you'll try," she said. "This is just something I have to know for my own sake." She crawled out of her bedroll, straightened her clothes, and crossed the distance to Asch. "There was a promise we made," she said hesitantly as she kneeled before him. "We were children and we pinky swore on it. Do you know what that promise is?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Asch said bitterly. "You've got that dreck now, right?"

"If you know, tell me! That is an order from your Princess," she said sternly. "Do you know what the promise Luke to made me is?"

Asch looked away, and Loki swore he saw a few tears before they were reluctantly blinked away. "I promised," he started, then shook his head. "We promised, Natalia, to grow up together and get married. When we ruled the kingdom, we'd make sure no one was poor. We wouldn't let any wars happen."

Natalia's breath hitched and, before anyone could stop her, she threw her arms around the God-General. "I can't believe it!" she cried. "All these years and I thought you were right next to me. I'm so sorry!"

"I was!" Luke said. He scrambled to his feet and backed away. "I was right there with you the whole time, Natalia. I'm Luke!"

Loki cast his book aside and stood. "Young Master, sit. It'll make you feel better. I know this is a shock, but it was a truth that needed revealing."

"He's lying!" Luke shouted. "Asch is lying, and you're lying too! You probably overheard Natalia talking about her promise. Isn't that right? Then you told Asch and told him to say it. You'd do anything to make me doubt Master Van!" He lurched to Loki's belongings, gathered them up, and cast them as far as his arm allowed. "Get out of here!" he shouted angrily. "Go! I don't want to see you anymore! I'm sending a letter to Father as soon as I can telling him of your lies. When I get back, I don't want to see you or I'll - I'll kill you!"

Luke's rejection squeezed Loki's heart and he couldn't help the few tears that escaped. "Master Luke," he tried to say, but the punch to the jaw shocked him to silence. It wasn't painful in the physical sense.

"Go," Luke ordered coldly. He pointed to Asch. "Take your friend with you! We don't need him to find Ion. We'll manage without two liars."

Natalia glared at Luke. "What makes you think we can do that?"

"Because I say we can, and I'm the goodwill ambassador aren't I?" Luke said confidently. "Uncle put me in charge and I say we don't need a traitor and a liar with us."

Natalia let Asch go and stood. "Don't say that, Luke!"

"I don't want to hear anything else about it!" the boy roared. "Loki, Asch, get the hell away from us right now!"

Loki helped Asch to his feet. "It appears best to do as he says," he told Natalia. "Don't worry, we'll be all right."

Guy pressed a pack into his hands – food and water, Loki thought. The sloshing as he slung it over his shoulders hinted that he was correct. "Please understand that I did nothing out of malice, nor did I lie," he said to the manservant. "Please be well on your journey."

A hand on Asch's shoulder to steady him, he turned to where his belongings had been flung and walked away.

* * *

I want to shout surprise, but that wouldn't really fit the mood, huh? So, let me just explain why exactly Luke lost his sanity. You see, when we learn truths that we don't want to accept, our first reaction is to deny it. Luke learning that he is a replica - that is, learning that who he thought he was is a lie - definitely falls into that category. What we all saw here was a giant fit of denial, and Luke lashing out at everyone that even tries to contend with what he sees as the truth. Loki, being the one to incite the revelation, is the one to receive the full force of Luke's wrath. Asch was just the living reminder that Loki's words were true so of course he had to leave as well. Luke's going to be his stubborn self and ignore anything that says he's the replica.

At least, until the one man he trusts the most in the world betrays him. With those ominous words I shall say, until next time!


End file.
